767 
^6557^ 


State  Street  Trust  Company, 
Boston 

Some  Merchants  and  Sea  Captains 
of  Old  Boston 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT  OF 


COMMODORE  BYRON  MCCANDLESS 


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SOME 

MERCHANTS  A>D    SEA  CAPTAINS 

OF 

OLD    BOSTON 


BEING 
A  COLLECTIOX  OF  SKETCHES  OF 

XO TABLE    MEX   AXn    JIERCAXTILE    HOUSES 

PROMIXEXT     DURIXG     THE     EARLT     HALF 

OF    THE    NINETEENTH     CENTCRX 

IN    THE 

COMMERCE    AND    SHIPPING 

OF    BOSTON 


PRISTED    FOR    THE 


^tatr   ^trrrt  arust  (rmti;jang 

BOSTON.    MASS. 


C"opvRK;in.    igi8 

ItV    THE 
STATE    SIRKF.  r    TRUST    COMPANY 


Tlie  headpiece  above  the  article  on   Russell  Sturgis  is   drawn  from 

the   picture  of   "India  Wharf   in    1857"   through   the   courtesy  of 

F.  B.  C.  Bradlee,  Esq. 


(Compiled,  arranged  and  printed  by  direction  of 

If'a/ton  /Advertising  y  Printing  Co. 

Boston,  Mass. 


767 
FOREWORD 


/4  1"  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  and  well  towards  its  fifties 

/  %  lumbering,  fishing,  ship-building  and  whaling  were  the  principal 
/  %  industries  of  New  England.  On  most  of  the  harbours,  upon 
many  of  the  navigable  rivers  and  creeks,  could  be  heard  the 
sound  of  the  caulker's  maul  at  work  on  vessels  large  and  small, 
schooners,  sloops,  barks,  and  clippers  in  all  stages  of  construction. 
Few  there  are  who  thought  these  days  would  ever  return,  but  time 
often  plays  strange  tricks.  Those  who  travel  between  New  York  and 
Boston,  or  between  Boston  and  Portland  or  beyond,  can  see  from  the 
car  windows  ships  on  the  ways  at  many  a  small  town  that  has  hereto- 
fore been  asleep  for  years,  but  that  now  bustles  with  the  activities  of 
ship-building.  Often  five  or  six  ships  side  by  side  may  be  seen, — ships 
of  a  different  build  from  those  of  the  older  days,  but  capable  of  again 
carrying  the  names  of  New  England  merchants.  New  England  cap- 
tains, and  New  England  towns  into  the  harbours  of  the  world  as  did 
the  clippers  of  almost  a  century  ago.  To-day  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific  ships  are  being  launched  at  a  greater  rate  than  ever  before  in 
the  history  of  this  country. 

It  is  because  of  this  renaissance  in  maritime  affairs  that  the  State 
Street  Trust  Company  this  year  has  prepared  another  pamphlet  which 
smacks  of  the  sea.  This  brochure  contains  a  short  account  of  the 
lives  of  some  of  Boston's  merchants  and  captains  who  did  so  much  to 
build  up  the  commercial  interests  of  Boston  and  New  England,  and 
who  helped  to  make  the  Eastern  States  a  synonym  for  daring  business 
enterprise  and  skilful  seamanship. 

There  are  many  other  merchants  and  captains  of  Boston  who  ought 
to  be  included  in  this  pamphlet,  but  it  has  been  impossible  to  do  so 
owing  to  the  limited  space,  and  also  because  of  the  fact  that  the 
compilers  were  unable  to  find  sufficient  information  concerning  many 
of  them.  In  next  year's  brochure  the  State  Street  Trust  Company 
hopes  to  include  other  Boston  merchants  and  captains,  with  stories 
or  anecdotes  concerning  their  lives,  and  would  therefore  very  much 
appreciate  it  if  any  one  having  any  diaries,  information,  or  stories  in 
regard  to  members  of  their  families,  would  be  so  kind  as  to  confer  with 
the  officers  of  the  Company. 

It  hopes  that  an  insight  into  the  old  days  may  prove  interesting, 
and  will  carry  the  reader  back  to  the  time  when  the  shores  of  Boston 
were  alive  with  ships  just  arrived  or  about  to  sail;  when  the  "  counting- 
houses  " — for  they  were  never  called  offices — covered  the  wharves; 
when  shipping  held  the  centre  of  interest  on  State  Street  and  Commer- 
cial Street;  and  when  at  almost  any  hour  of  the  day  could  be  seen  on 
Telegraph  Hill,  at  Hull,  from  the  cupola  on  Central  Wharf,  and  from 


1023978 


FOREWORD 


the  cupola  on  the  Old  State  House  the  signals  announcing  a  new 
arrival  in  the  harbour. 

The  Company  also  hopes  that  ihesc  stories  and  deeds  of  our  an- 
cestors will  prove  an  inspiration  to  the  youths  of  to-day  to  choose  the 
sea  as  their  calling,  and  to  help  man  the  large  fleet  of  merchant  vessels 
that  the  Government  will  own  after  the  war,  and  which  all  loyal 
Amrricatis,  even  those  living  in  the  inland  States,  nozv  knozv  should  be 
kef^t  under  our  flag  for  the  future  tveljare  and  protection  of  our  country. 
England's  large  merchant  marine  helped  to  prevent  her  from  starving, 
and  also  made  it  possible  for  the  United  States  to  turn  the  tide  of  battle 
by  assisting  in  carrying  abroad  two-thirds  of  the  American  Army  up  to 
August  15,  1918.  Americans  must  therefore  realize  the  value  of  the 
merchant  marine  to  this  country  in  peace  and  in  war,  and  should  see 
that  Congress  passes  laws  that  will  enable  our  ships  to  live  on  the  seas 
on  a  basis  comparing  favorably  with  those  of  other  countries. 

To  the  following  persons  who  have  rendered  much  valuable  assist- 
ance in  compiling  this  pamphlet  the  State  Street  Trust  Company  de- 
sires to  extend  its  thanks:  Captain  Arthur  H.  Clark,  Otto  Fleischner 
and  other  officers  of  the  Boston  Public  Library;  Charles  F.  Read  of 
the  Bostonian  Society;  Robert  B.  Smith  of  the  Marine  Museum; 
Francis  R.  Allen,  Edwin  F.  Atkins,  Louis  Bacon,  W.  P.  Barker, 
Charles  A.  Barry,  T.  Dennie  Boardman,  Robert  A.  Boit,  F.  B.  C. 
Bradlee,  John  K.  Burgess,  George  E.  Cabot,  Samuel  Cabot, 
Samuel  W.  Comstock,  Horace  S.  Crowell,  Henry  W.  Cunningham. 
Frederic  Cunningham,  Mrs.  E.  A.  Dolliver,  Captain  Oscar  G.  Eaton. 
William  C.  Endicott,  Chester  Guild,  William  F.  Halsall,  Alpheus  H. 
Hardy,  Arthur  Sherburne  Hardy,  Charles  A.  Hardy,  Miss  Susan  W. 
Hardy,  Augustus  Hemenway,  Augustus  Hemenway,  Jr.,  Paul  K. 
Hisada,  Osborne  Howes,  Prof.  T.  Makino,  Prof.  Mizusaki,  Lester  H. 
Monks,  H.  S.  O.  Nichols,  J.  W.  T.  Nichols,  Russell  Sturgis  Paine,  Mrs. 
Charles  E.  Perkins,  William  F.  Searle,  J.  H.  Shapleigh,  F.  W.  Sprague, 
Morgan  H.  Stafford,  John  H.  Sturgis,  C.  H.  Taylor,  Jr.,  T.  C.  Thacher, 
Barclay  Tilton,  R.  E.  Townsend,  Herman  A.  Train,  Mrs.  Franklin  M. 
Train,  Captain  N.  B.  Washburn,  Dr.  F.  S.  Watson,  Thomas  Weston, 
William  G.  Wheildon,  T.  T.  Whitney,  T.  T.  Whitney,  Jr. 

ALLAN  FORBES, 

President  State  Street  Trust  Company. 

Janu.\ry  1,  1919. 


THE  OLD   CLIPPER   DAYS 

JULIAN    S.  CUTLER 

The  old   Clipper  days  were  jolly,  when  we  sailed  the  Seven 

Seas, 
And  the  house-flags  of  our  merchant  ships  were  whipped  by 

every  breeze; 
It  was  good-by  to  your  mother  and  the  pretty  girls  on  shore, 
For  we're  off    around    the   howling  Horn,    bound   down   to 

Singapore. 

We  romped  the  rushing  trade-winds,  and  we  raced  the  big 

monsoon; 
We  carried  reeling  royals  from  Manila  to  Rangoon; 
We  were  chased  by  Aialay  pirates  from  Natura  to  Penang, 
And  we   drove  her  scuppers  under  to  outsail  the  cut-throat 

gang. 

We  went  rolling  in  "The  Doldrums"  till  the  tar  oozed  from 

our  seams; 
We   went   pushing  through    the    ice-pack    till    the    pressure 

cracked  our  beams; 
And  old  Mother  Carey's  chickens  wheeled  around  us  o'er  the 

brine. 
While  we  entertained  Old  Neptune  when  he  hailed  up  on  the 

line. 

Those  were  days  to  be   remembered,  when  our  good   ship 

sailed  away, 
From  the  old  home  port  behind  us,  to  Calcutta  or  Bombay; 
When  we  sold  the  Heathen  nations  rum  and  opium  in  rolls, 
And  the  Missionaries  went  along  to  save  their  sinful  souls. 

It  was  "Bundle  out,  my  bullies,  and  we'll  give  the  sheets  a 

pull"; 
It  was  "Ease  her  off  a  little,  till  the  topsails  stand  rap  full"; 
It  was  "Scrub  the  decks,  my  Jackies,  and  we'll  take  the  sun 

at  noon"; 
It    was     "Sou'-sou'-west-half-south,    my    boy,    beneath    the 

Southern  moon." 

We  raced  across  to  Africa  with  "dicker"  in  the  hold; 

We  traded  beads  and  calico  for  ivory  and  gold; 

We  raised   the  Northern   Dipper  as  we  sunk  the  Southern 

Cross, 
And  when  we  figured  up  the  run  the  owners  felt  no  loss. 

Then  'twas  "Home  again,  my  bullies,"  with  our  bows  knee- 
deep  in  foam, 

To  the  mother  that  was  waiting  and  the  happy  ones  at  home; 

It  was  home  from  old  Calcutta  or  Hong  Kong  or  far  Bombay, 

To  the  land  we  loved  to  think  of  when  our  hearts  were  far 
away. 


SOME  MERCHANTS  AND  SEA 
CAPTAINS    OF   OLD    BOSTON 


RUSSELL  STURGIS 

USSELL  STURGIS'S  grandfather,  who  bore  the  same 
name,  visited  the  Daniel  Bacons  on  Cape  Cod,  and 
while  there  he  met  and  married  Elizabeth,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Mrs.  James  Perkins.  Mrs.  Perkins  was  the 
daughter  of  Thomas  Handasyd  Peck,  who  left  some 
interesting  letters  concerning  the  lives  of  the  Boston- 
ians  of  the  early  days.  Of  her  it  is  related  that  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  there  was  much  sickness  among  the  English  troops  in 
Boston  and  the  English  general  was  advised  to  get  assistance  from 
Mrs.  Perkins,  who  was  known  to  be  very  capable.  She  replied,  as  was 
quite  natural  at  that  time,  that  she  would  aid  them  "  as  sick  men  but 
by  no  means  as  soldiers."  After  the  war  Mrs.  Perkins  and  her  son-in- 
law  returned  from  the  Cape  to  Boston. 

Russell  Sturgis,  the  grandson  and  well-known  Boston  and  Canton 
merchant,  was  born  in  Boston  in  1805,  went  to  Harvard  at  the  age  of 
twelve,  and  in  1828  made  his  first  voyage  abroad  in  the  "  Boston," 
with  only  two  fellow-passengers.  He  had  settled  down  in  this  city 
as  a  young  lawyer  and  would  probably  have  continued  in  this 
profession  had  he  not  overheard  John  P.  Cushing  speak  of  the 
unwillingness  of  a  certain  person  to  go  to  China.  "I  wish  I  had 
that  chance  offered  me,"  remarked  Sturgis.  In  a  few  days  the  oppor- 
tunity was  given  to  him  by  Mr.  Cushing  and  he  sailed  for  Canton 
in  1833. 

Eventually  Sturgis  entered  the  firm  of  Russell  &  Sturgis  of  Manila 
and  Russell,  Sturgis  &  Co.  of  Canton,  and  in  1840  the  latter  house 
consolidated  with  Russell  &  Co.,  Mr.  Warren  Delano  being  taken  in  as 
a  member  of  the  firm.  Two  years  later  Russell  Sturgis  became  a  part- 
ner. The  East  had  a  great  fascination  ior  him,  and  in  fact  for  all 
the  men  who  went  out  there  from  Boston.    The  life  there  was  new  and 

1 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

interesting  to  them,  and  they  assumed  great  responsibilities;  they 
lived  a  life  of  great  freedom,  although  they  were  not  allowed  to  go 
outside  the  "  Factory  "  reservation.  Besides  being  called  "  foreign 
devils  "  they  were  also  described  as  "  a  ghostly  tribe  of  barbarians," 
as  "  uncouth  beings  with  fiery  hair,"  as  "  a  strange  people  who  came 
to  the  Flowery  Kingdom  from  regions  of  mist  and  storm  where  the 
sun  never  shines,"  even  as  "  wild,  untamed  men  whose  words  are 
rough,  and  whose  language  is  confused."  During  the  opium  war,  Rus- 
sell Sturgis's  son,  Julian  Sturgis,  who  wrote  a  short  memoir  of  his  father, 
describes  how  each  member  of  Russell  &  Co.  had  to  do  some  of  the 
housework.  Lots  were  drawn  and  the  duty  of  cook  fell  to  Capt.  R.  B. 
Forbes,  who  was  soon  deposed  from  his  position  by  Warren  Delano 
for  presenting  to  his  fellow-captives  a  dish  of  ham  and  eggs  which  was 
mistaken  for  some  sort  of  leather.  John  C.  Green,  who  was  the 
head  of  Russell  &  Co.,  tried  his  hand  at  boiled  rice,  which  resembled  a 
mass  of  glue,  so  the  story  goes.  A.  A.  Low,  father  of  Seth  Low,  was 
ordered  to  set  the  table  after  having  produced  some  boiled  eggs  that 
resembled  grape-shot.  To  kill  time  they  played  whist,  and  hunted 
rats  with  a  terrier,  which  latter  fact  led  the  Chinese  to  believe  that 
the  "Fan-Kwae"  were  holding  a  continuous  feast.  Julian  Sturgis 
also  mentions  the  Canton  Regatta  Club,  which  was  founded  in  1837, 
thereby  causing  a  protest  to  be  Issued  by  three  of  the  Co-Hongs,  who 
believed  that  great  danger  would  arise  from  its  formation.  The 
protest  reads  as  follows:  — 

"On  the  river  boats  are  mysteriously  abundant;  everywhere  they  conpre- 
gate  in  vast  numbers;  like  a  stream  they  advance  and  retire  unceasingly. 
Thus  the  chances  of  contact  are  many;  so  are  accidents  even  to  the  breaking 
of  one  another's  boats,  to  the  injury  of  men's  bodies,  while  more  serious  con- 
sequences might  ensue! 

HOUQUA,  MOUQUA,  PwANKEIQUA." 

"  More  better  no  go,"  warned  Houqua,  In  his  pigeon  English. 

In  1844  Russell  Sturgis  retired  from  business  and  came  home  to 
Boston  to  join  his  children,  who  had  been  sent  there  to  school,  their 
mother  having  died  in  Manila  in  1837.  Sturgis  then  married  again, 
his  wife  being  Julia  A.  Bolt,  a  sister  of  Robert  A.  Bolt's  mother. 
He  found  the  scale  of  living  in  that  day  more  expensive  than  he  had 
expected  and  therefore  decided  to  return  with  his  family  to  the  East. 
He  was  to  sail  on  the  "  Canada  "  from  Boston  to  London,  where  he 
was  to  connect  with  a  ship  that  was  to  take  him  eastward.  The 
expressman  who  brought  In  the  family  luggage  from  Jamaica  Plain 
was  delayed  by  an  open  drawbridge  and  failed  to  get  to  the  wharf  until 
after  the  vessel  had  sailed.  Sturgis  and  his  family  decided  not  to  sail 
without  the  luggage  and  had  to  wait  over  for  the  next  boat.  It  is  said 
that  when  he  found  the  delay  occurred  through  no  fault  of  the  express- 
man, he  treated  the  expressman  so  kindly  that  the  man  was  so  surprised 
and  overcome  that  he  Immediately  burst  into  tears.  The  steamer  on 
which  they  finally  crossed  did  not  arrive  in  London  in  time  to  catch  the 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

boat  sailing  eastward,  therefore  Sturgis  and  his  family  had  to  remain  a 
number  of  weeks  in  London  before  making  connections.  During  this 
time  he  was  asked  by  Mr.  Bates,  the  senior  member  of  Baring  Bros. 
&  Co.,  to  become  a  partner  in  the  firm,  which  position  he  accepted, 
finally  becoming  head  of  the  house.  It  was  jokingly  said  in  the 
family  that  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  dilatory  expressman  Mr.  Sturgis 
would  never  have  become  head  of  the  firm  of  Baring  Bros.  &  Co. 
He  never  returned  to  this  country,  dying  in  England  in  1887. 

Mr.  Sturgis's  genial,  hearty,  and  kindly  personality  is  well  remem- 
bered by  many  Bostonians  whom  he  warmly  welcomed  and  sumptu- 
ously entertained  at  his  town  house  in  Carlton  House  Terrace  and  at 
his  country  place,  first  at  Walton-on-Thames  and  later  at  Leatherhead. 
His  American  guests  were  often  astonished  at  his  up-to-date  informa- 
tion, and  accurate  memory  of  births,  marriages,  and  deaths  among  his 
acquaintances  in  Boston,  as  he  always  showed  a  genuine  and  constant 
interest  in  all  his  friends  in  this  country.  He  was  one  of  the  generous 
contributors  to  the  Boston  Art  Museum  when  its  new  building  was 
built  in  Copley  Square  by  his  son  John  H.  Sturgis. 


COLONEL  THOMAS  HANDASYD  PERKINS,   T^ 

Colonel  Thomas  Handasyd  Perkins,  Jr.,  son  of  Colonel  Perkins, 
described  in  last  year's  pamphlet,  was  invariably  known  as  "  Short- 
arm  Tom  "  because  his  right  arm  was  a  trifle  shorter  than  his  left, 
a  defect,  however,  which  didn't  prevent  his  "  landing  "  it  in  the  right 
place  when  occasion  demanded.  While  he  was  in  London  there 
was  no  one  skilful  enough  to  box  with  him  and  so  his  friends 
recommended  that  he  go  to  a  curious  old  African  sparrer,  named 
Richmond,  who  had  such  long  arms  that  he  could  button  his 
breeches  at  the  knee  without  stooping  at  all.  During  the  first  lesson 
Colonel  Perkins  was  at  first  hit  very  hard,  but  later  retaliated  by 
fighting  the  African  backwards  until  he  was  knocked  into  the  window 
and  would  have  gone  completely  through  had  not  his  antagonist  and 
his  friends  pulled  him  back  by  the  ankles.  After  he  had  extricated 
a  few  pieces  of  glass  from  his  arms,  he  said  with  great  respect  for 
his  amateur  sparring  partner:  "Golly,  Massa  Major,  how  you  do 
hit  wid  dat  right  of  yours !  Why,  I  radder  be  kicked  by  old 
Massa's  black  mule  dan  hab  you  hit  me  again  like  dat.  No,  by 
golly,  I  don't  want  any  mo'  of  dat  hitten  here."  It  is  interesting  to 
record  that  Richmond  was  born  at  Richmond  on  Staten  Island.  He 
became  a  body-servant  to  General  Earl  Percy  when  the  English  took 
possession  of  Long  Island  during  the  Revolution,  and  later  accompa- 
nied his  master  to  England,  where  he  served  him  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  then  took  up  prize-fighting  and  soon  became  a  champion. 

Another  example  of  the  Colonel's  strength  and  agility  was  shown 
when  he  and  the  well-known  actor  James  Wallack  were  leaving  the 
Federal  Street  Theatre  in  Boston.  A  man  very  much  under  the 
influence  of  liquor  rushed  at  them  with  a  knife,  whereupon  Colonel  Per- 


SOMK  MERCIIAN  rS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD   BOSTON 

kins  parried  the  blow  and  felled  the  assailant  to  the  ground,  but  himself 
received  a  bad  wound.  It  was  later  discovered  that  the  attacker 
was  none  other  than  Junius  Brutus  Booth,  the  actor,  who  doubtless 
was  jealous  over  the  success  of  Wallack,  and  who  had  intended  his 
blow  for  his  rival  instead  of  for  Colonel  Perkins. 

When  Colonel  Perkins  first  went  to  China  he  was  very  young,  and 
very  homesick,  and  was  much  disappointed  not  to  be  received  more 
cordially  by  John  Perkins  Cushing,  the  head  of  the  firm  of  J.  &  T.  H. 
Perkins,  who  happened  to  be  very  much  occupied  when  he  arrived. 
Young  Perkins  presented  a  letter  of  introduction  from  Mrs.  Forbes, 
a  sister  of  his  father,  which  was  met  with  a  curt  "  There's  your  desk." 
Nothing  was  said  for  a  long  time,  young  Perkins  in  the  mean  time 
spending  his  time  making  lamp-lighters,  when  suddenly  Mr.  Cushing 

looked  over  at  him  and  said,  "  Is  your  Aunt  as  fat  as  she  used 

to  be?"  "Ten  times  fatter"  was  the  reply,  and  the  conversation 
again  ended.  This  may  have  been  the  same  aunt  who  asked  one  of 
the  younger  members  of  the  family  to  put  a  pillow  in  the  small  of 
her  back.  The  reply  came,  "  You  haven't  any  small  to  your  back. 
Aunty."  A  friendship  between  Mr.  Cushing  and  his  young  apprentice 
quickly  began,  and  the  two  became  lifelong  friends. 

Not  many  days  after  their  first  meeting  Mr.  Cushing  asked  the 
new  arrival  if  he  would  take  an  armed  boat  and  go  up  to  Houqua's 
and  get  from  him  a  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Perkins  got  ready 
for  the  expedition  and  then  waited  around  for  further  instructions, 
thinking  he  would  need  a  letter  of  introduction  to  the  comprador. 
Mr.  Cushing  said  that  this  was  very  unnecessary,  as  all  the  business 
with  Houqua  was  by  word  of  mouth.  The  Chinaman  promptly 
appeared  when  he  knew  an  American  had  arrived  to  see  him,  and 
invited  him  ashore,  saying  in  his  pigeon  English,  "  Hi  ya,  my  welly 
glad  sabe  that  son  my  olo  flen,  Mr.  Perkins,  my  welly  much  chin  chin 
you,  askee  come  ashore,  come  ashore;  as  for  dollar,  can  hab,  yes, 
can  hab  leckly."  While  the  money  was  being  counted  out,  Houqua 
invited  young  Perkins  to  lunch  with  him  and  to  attend  an  old  Chinese 
play  which  Houqua  said  had  been  going  on  for  several  weeks. 
Finally  the  play  was  over,  Houqua  amusingly  remarking  that  "the 
tide  would  not  wait  even  for  Confucius  "  and  therefore  the  play  must 
come  to  an  end  for  the  day.  The  dollars  were  taken  back  safely 
to  Canton. 

Colonel  Perkins  spent  a  good  many  years  of  his  life  in  London, 
where  he  made  many  warm  friends.  He  also  acquired  the  reputation 
of  being  one  of  the  best-dressed  men  of  his  day  and  of  having  the 
handsomest  leg  in  London.  Wliile  there  he  served  on  the  staff  of 
General  Devereux  for  over  two  years.  On  one  occasion  the  question 
of  wearing  knee-breeches  or  trousers  was  discussed,  and  those  present 
decided  to  ask  Major  Perkins  what  his  decision  would  be.  His 
answer  was  that  all  men  who  had  bad  legs  might  come  in  trousers, 
and,  as  General  Devereux  expressed  it,  "  trousers  were  very  scarce 
that  season  at  Almack's." 

On  another  occasion  a  marquis  had  driven  six  horses  through  the 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

streets  of  London  and  had  been  fined,  as  this  was  against  the  municipal 
regulations.  Major  Perkins  declared  that  the  offender  hadn't  known 
how  to  do  it,  and  he  promptly  made  bets  with  all  the  people  in  the 
room  that  he  could  drive  his  six-in-hand  about  the  Park  without 
being  fined.  The  next  morning  the  same  party  of  men  scrambled 
into  their  seats  in  the  drag  and  the  six-in-hand  started  on  its  way 
about  London.  In  a  short  time  a  "  bobby "  ordered  them  to  stop, 
remarking  that  it  was  contrary  to  the  law  to  drive  six  horses  about 
the  streets  of  London.  "  I  am  aware  of  that,"  answered  Colonel 
Perkins.  "  Then  I  must  summon  you,"  replied  the  officer.  "  I  am 
Colonel  Thomas  H.  Perkins  of  Park  Lane,"  was  the  reply,  "  and  I 
am  not  breaking  that  regulation.  If  you  will  take  the  trouble  to 
inspect  my  off-wheeler  you  will  perceive  that  he  is  a  mule  and  I  know 
of  no  regulation  which  prevents  a  gentleman  from  driving  five  horses 
and  a  mule  to  his  drag  if  he  pleases."  None  on  the  drag  had  noticed 
the  mule,  and  when  they  did  see  it  there  was  a  shout  of  laughter 
from  every  one,  with  the  exclamation,  "  You  have  won,  Tom,"  and 
the  "  bobby "  remarked,  "  Damned  Yankee  trick  that,"  as  Colonel 
Perkins  touched  up  his  horses  and  started  for  home. 

General  Devereux  praised  Colonel  Perkins  very  highly  while  he 
was  his  staff  officer.  One  day  a  number  of  men  were  having  a 
discussion  and  the  Marquis  of  Hertford  said  he  knew  a  certain  thing 
was  so.  Some  one  else  asked  him  how  he  knew  this,  and  he  replied, 
"  Because  Tom  Perkins  told  me  so."  Again  the  questioner  rather 
carelessly  asked  who  Tom  Perkins  was  and  why  he  should  always 
be  quoted.  The  questioner  again  was  admonished  by  the  Marquis, 
who  replied  that  Tom  Perkins  was  a  young  man  whom  he  ad- 
mired and  respected;  that  he  admired  any  man  who  could  knock 
Richmond  through  a  window,  and  respected  a  young  man  who  when 
he  came  to  hunt  with  them  not  only  brought  nags  enough  to  horse 
himself  but  had  spare  mounts  for  some  of  his  own  impecunious 
relatives.  He  further  stated  that  he  had  seen  the  questioner  riding 
some  of  Tom's  horses  himself.  There  was  a  shout  from  all  those 
in  the  room,  and  the  questioner  declared  that  he  was  sorry  he  had 
spoken. 

When  Colonel  Perkins  returned  to  America  he  purchased  a  house 
at  Nahant  which  was  owned  at  one  time  by  General  Charles  J.  Paine, 
the  famous  yachtsman.  Perkins  was  always  fond  of  the  water  and 
was  an  excellent  hand  in  steering  a  small  boat.  Captain  Dumaresq 
came  back  from  Baltimore  and  described  a  very  beautiful  schooner 
which  Perkins  bought,  and  made  a  match  with  her  against  the 
"  Sylph,"  which  was  to  be  sailed  by  John  Perkins  Cushing  and 
Capt.  R.  B.  Forbes.  The  race  was  to  a  buoy  off  the  outer  light  in 
Boston  Harbour,  it  being  agreed  that  the  first  boat  around  should 
drive  a  boat-hook  into  the  buoy  and  the  next  boat  should  take  it  out. 
The  Perkins-Dumaresq  yacht,  which  was  called  the  "  Dream," 
rounded  the  buoy  first,  and  the  Colonel  drove  his  boat-hook  into  it 
and  succeeded  in  first  reaching  home.  The  boat-hook  never  was 
brought  back,  and  for  years  afterwards,  when  Colonel  Perkins  met 


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■«Hi\  a.     \,'■^»r — 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD   BOSTON 

Captain  Forbes  on  Temple  Place  or  on  the  Common  he  used  to  yell: 
"Ben,  ahoy!     Where  is  my  boat-hook?" 

Colonel  Perkins  was  born  in  his  father's  house  on  Pearl  Street 
and  later  attended  school  at  Exeter  Academy,  where  the  master 
declared  he  was  a  very  rare  fellow  because  he  had  "a  watch,  a  fowling 
piece  and  a  Lexicon,"  a  rare  combination  at  that  time. 

He  married  Miss  Jane  Francis  Dumaresq  and  they  lived  in  Boston, 
first  on  Chauncy  Street  and  then  at  1  Winthrop  Place.  He  became 
a  partner  in  the  firm  of  J.  &  T.  H.  Perkins,  and  was  so  successful 
that  in  1834  he  built  a  house  of  his  own  at  1  Joy  Street,  where  he 
passed  many  years.  To  their  house  came  many  of  the  important 
people  of  this  time, — Harrison  Gray  Otis,  Judge  Story,  Samuel 
Appleton,  Thomas  L.  Winthrop,  Daniel  Webster,  Nathaniel  Amory, 
Nlajor  Joseph  Russell,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Everett,  Augustus  Thorndike. 
Francis  Codman,  Charles  Hammond,  J.  P.  Cushing,  Thomas  and 
Lothrop  Motley,  Louis  Stackpole,  Henry  Cabot,  Col.  T.  G.  Carey, 
W\  H.  Gardiner,  and  others.  His  father's  house  in  Temple  Place 
was  the  rendezvous  of  all  the  important  people  of  the  day.  Mention 
is  often  made  of  the  wonderful  Thanksgiving  dinners  there,  which 
were  attended  by  four  generations,  those  present  often  numbering 
over  sixty,  and  occupying  two  rooms  for  the  dinner-table.  Upon 
these  occasions  it  was  always  customary  after  dinner  for  the  youngest 
child  to  walk  down  the  entire  length  of  the  table,  and  it  is  recorded 
that  the  last  one  to  achieve  this  feat  was  a  great-grand-daughter, 
now  Mrs.  F.  C.  Shattuck,  who  was  then  about  five  years  old. 

When  Colonel  Perkins  realized  that  he  was  about  to  die  he  said 
to  a  friend  of  his:  "  I  am  about  as  good  as  Gus  Thorndike,  Jim  Otis, 
or  Charlie  Hammond,  and  almost  as  good  as  Frank  Codman.  I 
shall  go  where  they  go,  and  that  is  where  I  wish  to  go."  In  a  few 
weeks  this  fine  gentleman  died,  in  the  year  1850. 


THCKFRMAN   TOWN^FND  k  CO 

The  white  flag  with  two  letter  T's  and  a  blue  border,  flown  by 
Tuckerman,  Townsend  &  Co.,  was  known  in  many  ports  of  the  world, 
but  chiefly  in  Palermo,  Singapore,  Penang,  Calcutta,  and  other  Eastern 
ports.  The  head  of  this  house  was  Gustavus  Tuckerman,  Jr.,  who 
was  born  in  England  in  the  year  1824.  It  had  been  intended  that  he 
should  go  to  Harvard  College  as  his  elder  brother  John  Francis 
Tuckerman  had  done,  but  owing  to  a  change  of  plans  he  went  into 
the  office  of  Curtis  and  Greenough.  He  was  sent  by  this  firm  in 
1847  to  Palermo,  Sicily,  as  its  representative  to  attend  to  the  purchase 
and  shipment  of  the  cargoes,  sending,  as  he  deemed  most  profitable, 
cream  of  tartar,  shellac,  wine,  fruit,  licorice,  paste,  linseed,  etc.,  etc., 
to  Boston.  He  represented  the  firm  a  second  time  in  1849,  passing 
another  year  at  Palermo,  and  his  letters  of  introduction  at  both  times 
brought  him  in  contact  with  many  interesting  people. 

On  his  return  he  was  made  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Curtis  &  Greenough 

8 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

and  in  1851  married  Emily  Goddard  Lamb,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
Lamb,  president  of  the  New  England  National  Bank  of  Boston. 
Alfred  Greenough  died  about  this  time,  and  Tuckerman  formed  a 
partnership  with  Thomas  D.  Townsend,  who  was  also  in  the  firm  of 
Curtis  &  Greenough,  under  the  firm  name  of  Tuckerman,  Townsend  & 
Co.    In  1852  Tuckerman  sailed  for  India  to  represent  the  new  firm. 

The  most  reliable  captain  sailing  for  this  house  was  Captain  Mea- 
com,  who  has  been  described  by  Mr.  Tuckerman  as  one  of  the  old- 
fashioned  sort  who  would  take  good  care  of  his  vessel  and  be  honest 
for  his  owners.  He  was  the  oldest  trader  who  called  at  Calcutta  and 
was  privileged  to  wear  a  pennant  on  holidays  and  was  called  ''  Com- 
modore," both  old  customs  of  that  port. 

During  Tuckerman's  second  trip  to  India,  in  1859,  the  firm  of 
Tuckerman,  Townsend  &  Co.  lost  a  great  deal  of  money  owing  to 
adverse  business  conditions  which  virtually  ruined  the  old  India  trade. 
On  his  return  he  decided  to  dissolve  the  firm  rather  than  to  continue 
on  borrowed  capital  which  was  offered  him  at  that  time.  He  there- 
fore brought  his  family  to  New  York  City  and  accepted  the  position 
of  treasurer  of  the  Hazard  Powder  Company.  His  heart  was  ever 
true  to  the  old  business,  however,  and  he  always  loved  to  remember 
the  old  days  in  the  India  trade,  and  the  ships  and  captains  of  the 
square-riggers  that  his  firm  had  owned  and  chartered. 

Joseph  Tuckerman,  a  cousin  of  Gustavus  Tuckerman,  was  in 
business  with  Josiah  Bradlee,  and  gave  up  this  position  to  act  as  super- 
cargo of  the  "  Cowper,"  owned  by  Russell  &  Co.  Some  years  later 
he  brought  back  a  shipload  of  Eastern  merchandise  to  New  York, 
arriving  during  the  panic  of  1837.  As  he  approached  his  home  his 
father  opened  the  window  and  greeted  him  with  these  cheerful  words: 
"Joseph,  we  are  all  ruined,  you're  ruined."  It  was  true;  they  were 
bankrupt,  as  the  goods  brought  no  bids.  Tuckerman  was  not  dis- 
couraged by  this  adverse  fortune,  but  set  out  to  make  his  living  in 
some  other  line.  One  day  he  was  riding  on  the  Camden-Amboy 
Railroad,  the  train  being  drawn  by  the  famous  English  locomotive 
"Johnnie  Bull,"  which  was  imported  from  England  a  few  years  before. 
He  at  once  realized  the  value  of  iron  for  the  railroads,  entered  the  iron 
business,  and  recouped  his  lost  fortune. 


CAPTAIN  BURKE  AND  HIS  GALLANT  RESCUE 

Captain  Edmund  Burke  of  the  "Azor  "  was  the  most  popular  of  all 
the  Fayal  captains  and  usually  made  very  fast  voyages  owing  to  the 
fact  that  he  always  trimmed  the  sails  to  take  advantage  of  every  pufi" 
of  air.  His  mate,  a  man  named  Davis,  was  an  excellent  navigator, 
although  with  but  little  education.  He  was  not  at  all  ashamed  of  the 
fact  that  he  was  a  self-made  man,  and  often  said  jokingly  that  he  had 
only  three  days  of  school  in  his  life:  "  The  first  day  school  didn't  keep; 
the  second  day  the  teacher  was  sick;  and  the  third  day  I  played 
hookev." 

9 


From    a    photograph 


Kindness   of   Frederic    Cunningham 


SOME  MERCHANTS  ayid  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

One  of  the  men  in  Captain  Burke's  crew  sailed  with  him  for  eleven 
years,  and  every  one,  both  passengers  and  crew,  was  very  fond  of  him. 
Once  when  it  became  necessary  to  cut  away  the  masts  on  one  of  the 
voyages  into  New  Bedford  four  Portuguese  sailors  in  the  crew,  who 
had  been  on  the  ship  for  over  four  years,  were  so  filled  with  grief  at 
being  forced  to  raise  a  hand  against  the  ship  they  loved  so  much  that 
they  wept  bitterly  all  the  while  they  were  hacking  at  the  masts  with 
their  axes. 

On  his  first  voyage  in  the  "Azor"  in  1855  the  following  were  among 
the  passengers  bound  to  Fayal:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  P.  Dabney,  Olivia 
Dabney,  C.  P.  Webster,  E.  W.  Pomeroy,  Edith  Dabney,  and  F.  Kinni- 
cutt,  Jr.  The  Dabney  family  was  associated  with  Fayal  for  many 
years  and  thought  little  of  making  a  trip  there.  The  following  words 
are  taken  from  an  old  log  of  the  "Azor." 

"Sweet  Barque,  it  is  of  thee, 
From  all  bilge-water  free, 

Of  thee  I  sing; 
Barque  of  the  noble  prow, 
So  clean  from  top  to  toe, 
Long  mayest  thou  to  and  fro 

The  Dabneys  bring." 

While  on  the  way  from  Fayal  to  Boston  in  1865,  Captain  Burke 
encountered  tremendous  gales,  and  when  nine  hundred  miles  from 
Boston  fell  in  with  the  ship  "  Gratitude,"  which  was  in  such  a  leaky 
condition  that  all  of  her  passengers  had  to  be  transferred  to  the 
"Azor,"  which  had  been  rechristened  "  Fredonia."  Three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  people  were  transferred  with  great  difficulty,  which 
increased  the  "  Fredonia's  "  list  from  fifteen  to  a  total  of  three  hun- 
dred and  thirty-five  persons,  and  to  provide  quarters  for  them  all  it 
was  found  necessary  to  throw  overboard  thousands  of  boxes  of 
oranges.  More  severe  weather  was  encountered  and  the  thermometer 
dropped  to  zero,  necessitating  the  constant  hammering  of  the  rigging 
by  the  sailors  to  keep  it  clear  of  ice.  Several  times  the  vessel  was 
blown  to  sea  as  she  was  about  to  enter  Boston  Harbour,  and  as 
their  food  consisted  chiefly  of  oranges,  which  had  now  been  almost 
all  consumed,  the  consequences  might  have  been  disastrous. 
Finally  port  was  safely  made,  and  Mayor  Lincoln  and  many  of  the 
good  citizens  of  Boston  took  prompt  steps  to  relieve  the  sufferings 
of  the  unfortunate  passengers.  The  cargo  which  was  thrown  over- 
board from  the  "  Fredonia  "  was  insured,  but  by  getting  rid  of  it 
before  the  people  from  the  "  Gratitude  "  came  aboard,  the  insurance 
was  forfeited.  Generous  Bostonians  again  came  to  the  rescue,  realiz- 
ing that  the  captain  could  not  have  acted  otherwise,  and  raised  the 
amount  of  the  loss  by  popular  subscription. 

Some  months  later  Captain  Burke  sailed  to  Lisbon,  and  on  arriving 
at  that  port  the  officials  informed  him  that  there  was  a  quarantine 
against  arrivals  from  certain  ports  in  the  United  States,  as  smallpox 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAL\S  of  OLD  BOSTON 

had  broken  out  there.  The  Americans  were  much  amused  when  they 
were  furtlicr  informed  that  ail  ships  sailing  from  America  were  exempt 
from  quarantine,  except  those  from  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Chicago 
and  Cincinnati. 

On  one  of  these  rough  voyages  to  Fayal  one  of  the  passengers, 
undoubtedly  a  poor  sailor,  as  will  be  observed  by  the  reader,  composed 
the  following  verses,  which  may  prove  amusing:  — 

A    PSALM   OF   THE   SEA 

A.   C.   SICKFELLOW 

Tell  me  not  in  cheerful  numbers 

Life  at  sea's  a  pleasant  dream, 
For  all  round  me  seasick  grumblers 

Anything  but  pleasant  seem. 

Life  is  hateful — life's  disgusting, 

When  in  torture  past  control, 
To  bounding  billows  you're  entrusting 

Your  scarce-swallowed  breakfast  roll. 

Short  the  voyage,  the  bark  swift  sailing. 

No  ill  wind  nor  storm  betides; 
Yet,  still  obtrudes  the  thought  prevailing, 

'Twas  not  meant  for  my  insides. 

In  future,  friends,  nor  doctor  either, 

Trust  when  urging  change  of  air; 
Firmly  tell  them  that  you'd  rather 

Stay  at  home  and  tear  your  hair, 

Than  to  ride  with  ocean  demons 

In  a  plight  that  nothing  cures; 
With  the  vessel  on  her  beam  ends, 

And  you,  hapless  wight,  on  yours. 

Rolling  on  the  broad  Atlantic, 

Reeling  feet  from  stem  to  stern; 
Every  one  with  efforts  frantic 

Striving  head  from  heels  to  learn. 

You  lose  your  meals — don't  lose  your  temper. 

Cheerful  let  your  dinner  go; 
All  know,  who've  suffered  this  distemper, 

You've  "that  within  which  passcth  show." 

Let  us,  then,  while  onward  gliding, 

As  for  land  we  long  and  wait. 
Still  from  port  to  starboard  sliding. 

Learn  to  grin  and  bear  our  fate. 

12 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 


Not  for  comfort  in  our  sorrow, 
Nor  for  brandy,  now  we  call; 

All  we  ask  is  that  each  morrow 
Bring  us  nearer  to  Fayal. 


BY   s.  B.  s. 


{From  Passenger  5  Log  of  the  "Jzor"  in  possession   of  Mrs.   Clara  D.  Benton,  of 
Michigan,  daughter  of  Captain  Burke.) 


AUGUSTUS  HEMENWAY  &  CO. 

Augustus  Hemenway  was  one  of  the  most  influential  merchants 
of  Boston.  He  was  born  in  Salem  in  1805,  and  like  many  boys  of 
that  period  he  was  obliged  to  go  to  work  when  he  was  very  young. 
His  first  position  was  as  clerk  in  a  small  dry-goods  store  in  Charles- 
town,  and  later  he  was  employed  by  Benjamin  Bangs  &  Co.,  going 
out  as  supercargo  in  their  vessels.  When  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  it 
is  recorded,  he  was  earning  $60  a  year  and  his  board.  With  the  Bangs 
firm  he  began  trading  for  himself  in  a  small  way  with  the  seacoast 
r.owns  in  Maine,  then  he  branched  out  to  the  West  Indies,  and  by 
1836  he  was  in  business  for  himself  under  the  firm  name  of  A.  Hemen- 
way &  Co.  He  owned  eight  large  ships,  which  he  built  for  his  own 
business,  under  his  own  orders,  and  which  plied  to  and  from  Val- 
paraiso, where  he  had  his  own  warehouse  and  stores.  The  names  of 
these  vessels  were  "  City  of  Valparaiso,"  "  City  of  Santiago,"  "  Inde- 
pendence," "  Magellan,"  "  San  Carlos,"  "Prospero,"  "  Sunbeam,"  and 
'  Quintero."  He  also  owned  the  entire  cargoes  which  consisted  of  what- 
ever American  products  he  considered  would  be  salable  on  the  west 
coast  of  South  America, — soap,  candles,  kerosene,  refined  sugar,  boots, 
shoes,  etc.;  lathes,  shovels,  picks,  and  other  tools  and  machines,  woollen 
and  cotton  cloth;  sewing-machines,  organs,  pianos,  furniture,  and  other 
manufactures.  For  the  homeward  voyages  the  ships  were  loaded 
with  copper  ore,  nitrate  of  soda,  wool,  hides,  goatskins,  etc.  As  all 
the  cargo  belonged  to  him,   he  never   had   to  advertise   for   freight. 

One  of  his  captains  said  that  when  his  crew  was  taken  on  board 
in  Boston,  one  of  them  was  very  drunk  and  noisy,  whereupon  the 
mate  told  him  to  stop  his  noise  and  go  below.  The  man  made  some 
insulting  reply,  whereupon  the  mate  seized  a  belaying  pin,  struck 
him  a  heavy  blow  on  the  head  which  brought  the  blood  over  his  face, 
and  knocked  him  senseless  to  the  deck.  A  lady  passenger,  who  saw 
it,  was  horrified  at  the  sight,  and  hastened  to  the  cabin.  A  few  days 
ater,  when  the  ship  had  sailed,  this  lady  came  on  deck  and  observ- 
ing the  man  who  had  been  belabored,  at  the  wheel,  steering 
the  ship,  exclaimed,  "Oh,  my  good  man,  how  is  your  head.''"  The 
nan  glanced  at  the  compass  and  replied  absent-mindedly  to  the  puzzled 
ady,  "  East-north-east-half-east,  Madam." 

Another  captain  brought  home  from  Valparaiso  a  French  ship- 
master whose  vessel  had  been  sold.  He  had  with  his  baggage  a 
quantity  of  fine  French  brandy.     On  the  last  day  of  the  discharge 

13 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

of  the  cargo  the  Frenchman  invited  the  custom-house  officer  on  board 
to  take  a  glass  of  this  brandy,  which  the  officer  said  was  the  finest 
he  had  ever  tasted.  The  Frenchman  asked  if  he  would  consider  it 
a  good  thing  to  have  in  the  house,  and  asked  for  a  memorandum  of 
his  residence.  Soon  after  that  a  man  came  from  the  cabin  with  a 
half-dozen  bottles  in  a  basket  and  started  for  the  shore.  Of  course, 
the  officer  could  not  see  goods  taken  ashore  until  the  duty  was  paid, 
so  he  looked  the  other  way.  When  he  went  home  that  night  he  was 
surprised  and  disappointed  at  not  finding  the  brandy  there  and  dis- 
covered a  few  days  later  that  the  address  given  to  the  man  with  the 
basket  was  that  of  one  of  the  Frenchman's  friends,  and  not  his  own 
address.  The  custom-house  official  could  not  say  anything  about  the 
incident  without  showing  his  neglect  of  duty  in  allowing  the  brandy 
to  be  landed. 

Mr.  Hemenway's  quiet  manner  of  managing  his  affairs  was  appre- 
ciated by  every  one.  One  day  the  stevedores'  engine,  at  work  on 
the  wharf,  threw  oflF  a  mass  of  soot  which  was  blown  into  the  office 
windows,  covering  the  desks  and  papers.  Mr.  Hemenway  spoke  to 
the  wharfinger  about  it,  who  must  have  been  a  punster,  for  he 
replied,  "  I  am  very  sorry;  we  are  always  trying  to  s^nt  you,"  and 
then  proceeded  with  his  work. 

Besides  his  Valparaiso  business  Augustus  Hemenway  owned  an 
entire  township  in  Maine,  where  he  procured  pine-trees,  floating  the 
logs  down  to  his  own  saw-mill  at  Machias.  Here  they  were  cut 
into  boards  and  loaded  on  his  schooners  for  Cuba,  where  he  owned 
a  large  plantation  and  sugar-mill,  in  which  he  took  a  great  interest. 
One  winter  evening,  while  on  his  way  from  Sagua  to  the  St.  George 
estate,  Mr.  Hemenway  was  captured  by  insurgents  and  held  for 
ransom.  The  manager  of  the  estate,  who  was  with  him,  was  very 
much  terrified,  but  Mr.  Hemenway  showed  no  fear  whatever  and 
passed  a  good  part  of  the  night  sitting  on  a  log,  smoking  cigars,  and 
endeavoring  to  beat  down  the  exorbitant  demands  made  for  his 
ransom,  in  which  he  was  largely  successful.  At  daybreak  he  sent  his 
manager,  Mr.  Bartlett,  to  the  bank,  in  Sagua,  for  the  necessary  funds, 
paid  his  ransom,  then  went  quietly  on  his  way.  Absolute  fearlessness 
was  one  of  his  strongest  characteristics.  After  this  adventure,  how- 
ever, he  made  it  a  point  to  go  by  train  from  Sagua  to  the  estate. 

Mr.  Hemenway  was  an  industrious,  quiet,  and  unassuming  gentle- 
man, and  was  a  most  successful  merchant.  He  was  so  conscientious 
about  his  business  that  he  was  seldom  willing  to  leave  details  to  others, 
sometimes  even  superintending  the  loading  of  his  vessels.  He  married 
Mary  Tileston,  the  daughter  of  Thomas  Tileston  of  New  York,  who 
was  one  of  the  foremost  merchants  of  that  city  from  1820  until  his 
death  in  the  late  sixties. 

There  was  another  Hemenway  in  the  family  who  was  a  noted 
captain,  and  it  was  said  of  him  that  he  was  such  a  good  pilot  that 
he  could  "  take  a  ship  to  the  White  Mountains,  gather  a  freight  of 
cool  air  and  return  on  time  with  his  eyes  shut." 

15 


'J   rvj     rrri:   vwv'jpli 
■j  rri     nr']"  r^  "HHi  *^"' 

,J    lil'j      'gim.'"'^  ■'     JT-' 


p*^ 


-'  *    I*. 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 


From  a  painline  rru'tied  hy  Barclay  TlHon,  E^q. 

"DASHING  \VA\E,"  OWNED  BY  STEPHEN  TILTON  &  CO.,  ENTERING  BOSTON 

HARBOUR  IN  1855 

The  Tilton  firm  has  had  offices  in  the  same  location,  10  Central  Wharf, —  now  10  Milk 
Street, — since  1830.    The  ships  of  the  firm  used  to  dock  opposite  the  counting-house. 


STEPHEN  TILTOX  &  CO.,  WITH  AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE 
THRILLING  ADVENTURE  OF  TWO  OF  THE  TILTON 
FAMILY   AGAINST   INDIANS. 

The  firm  of  Stephen  Tilton  &  Co.  was  composed  of  Stephen  and  his 
two  sons,  Stephen,  Jr.,  and  Joseph  B.  Tilton,  the  latter  the  father  of 
Barclay  Tilton,  and  their  offices  since  1830  have  been  at  the  same 
location,  formerly  10  Central  Wharf,  now  10  Milk  Street.  The  old 
sign  over  the  door  is  still  there,  although  no  longer  legible.  The  firm 
had  started  business  a  few  years  before  in  Newburyport.  The  ships 
of  the  firm  used  to  dock  right  opposite  the  "  counting-room,"  the 
dock  itself  being  situated  where  the  present  Chamber  of  Commerce 
is.  Central  Wharf  in  the  early  days  was  the  continuation  of  what  is 
now  Milk  Street,  below  India  Street.  The  Tilton  firm  at  first  traded 
with  the  W^est  Indies  and  later  with  Calcutta,  where  some  of  the 
cousins  and  uncles  lived  as  agents,  handling  chiefly  tobacco  sent  out 
there  from  Virginia.  The  two  best  known  of  their  ships  were  the 
"  Dashing  Wave  "  and  "  Water  Witch."  When  the  "  Dashing  Wave  " 
was  converted  into  a  barge  a  shot  from  the  Confederate  cruiser  "  Ala- 
bama "  was  found  in  her  timbers.  At  present  writing  she  is  still  used 
as  a  barge.  The  logs  of  the  firm's  ships  were  found  in  the  offices  at 
10  Central  Wharf. 

18 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

The  grandfather  and  uncle  of  Stephen  Tilton  had  a  thrilling  ex- 
perience with  some  Penobscot  Indians,  which  is  most  interesting,  and 
which  has  been  described  in  "A  Brief  Narrative  or  Poem,  giving  an 
account  of  the  hostile  Actions  of  Some  Pagan  Indians  towards  Lieu- 
tenant Jacob  Tilton,  and  his  brother  Daniel  Tilton,  both  of  the  town 
of  Ipswich,  as  they  were  on  board  of  a  small  vessel  at  the  Eastward; 
which  happened  in  the  summer-time,  in  the  year  1722.  With  an  ac- 
count of  the  Valiant  Exploits  of  the  said  Tiltons,  and  their  victorious 
Conquest  over  their  insulting  enemies."  This  narrative  was  discovered 
stowed  away  in  the  Newburyport  Town  Hall. 

The  two  Tilton  brothers  went  off  on  a  fishing  voyage,  and,  to  quote 
the  first  few  lines  of  this  poem:- — 

"Down  at  an  eastward  harbour  call'd  Fox  Bay,* 
They  in  a  Schooner  at  an  anchor  lay. 
It  was  upon  the  fourteenth  day  of  June, 
Six  stout  great  Indians  in  the  afternoon 
In  two  Canoes  on  board  said  Schooner  came, 
With  painted  faces  in  a  churlish  frame." 

The  warriors  ran  down  into  the  cabin  and  demanded  to  know  the 
reason  why  the  white  men  retained  one  of  their  Indians  as  a  hostage, 
to  which  Lieutenant  Tilton  expostulated  that 

"Great  while  since  we  from  Boston  hither  came 
We  poor  fishermen  are  not  to  blame." 

The  Indians  with  considerable  difficulty  then  managed  to  bind  their 
two  captives,  and  danced  around  them,  flourishing  their  long  knives. 
Presently  two  of  their  number  rowed  ashore  to  carry  back  the  good 
news  of  the  capture,  leaving  on  guard  the  other  four,  who  felt  so  certain 
that  they  had  their  prisoners  secure,  that  they  left  them  and  began  to 
plunder  the  ship  of  all  food  and  valuables  on  board.  The  following 
lines  plainly  describe  what  ensued:  — 

"While  they  were  plundering  so  busily, 
He  saw  a  splitting  knife  that  was  near  by, 
To  which  he  goes  and  turns  his  back  about 
Eyeing  them  well,  lest  they  should  find  him  out: 
And  so  he  works  said  knife  into  his  hand, 
With  which  he  cuts  his  line,  but  still  doth  stand. 
Although  two  of  said  Indians  him  ey'd. 
They  did  not  know  but  he  remained  fast  ty'd. 
Two  of  said  Indians  were  plundering, 
Down  the  Forecastle  while  he  did  this  tiling, 
The  other  two  so  watchful  and  so  sly, 
And  on  him  kept  a  constant  Indian  eye, 
That  he  stands  still  waiting  till  he  could  find 
A  time  when  they  did  him  not  so^much  mind; 

*  Fox  Bay  was  undoubtedly  North  Haven. 

19 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTO^ 


But  when  for  plunder  they  to  searching  goes, 
Then  his  contrivance  presently  he  shows: 
He  to  his  brother  Jacob  runs  with  speed, 
And  cuts  his  line;  now  both  of  them  are  freed. 
The  Indians  now  alarmed,  hereby. 
In  Indian  lanpuape,  made  a  hideous  cry: 
Cryinp  Chau  hau,  chau  hau;  for  they  espy'd. 
That  both  these  Englishmen  were  got  unty'd; 
Like  roaring  Lyons  with  an  ax  and  knives 
Made  violent  assaults  to  take  their  lives; 
But  God  who  had  determined  to  save, 
I'ndauntcd  courage  unto  them  He  gave; 
That  they  with  such  a  manly  confidence, 
Altho'  unarm'd  stood  in  their  own  defence; 
And  tho'  they  had  from  these  blood-thirsty  hounds 
Received  many  dismal  stabs  and  wounds, 
While  in  their  skirmish  blood  was  up  and  hot. 
No  more  than  Flea  bites  them  they  minded  not, 
Said  Daniel  still  retained  his  splitting  knife. 
Who  nimbly  ply'd  the  same  and  fit  for  life; 
With  one  hand  fended  off  the  Indian  blows, 
And  with  the  other  crossed  the  face  and  nose 
Of  Captain  Sam,  until  his  pagan  head 
Was  chop'd  and  gash'd,  and  so  much  mangled; 
Bits  of  his  Indian  scalp  hung  down  in  strings, 
And  blood  run  pouring  thence  as  out  of  springs." 

Jacob  Tilton  was  able  to  hurl  one  of  the  wounded  Indians  overboard. 

"Then  Daniel  presently  took  Captain  Sam, 
And  brought  his  hand  about  his  Indian  Ham, 
And  to  the  vessel  side  he  nimble  goes. 
And  his  black  carcass  in  the  water  throws." 

Jacob  then  threw  the  third  over  the  side,  the  fourth  deciding  that 
he  would  jump  of  his  own  accord.  Two  of  the  wounded  men  in  the 
water  then  climbed  on  board  a  canoe  which  was  lying  alongside  the 
vessel.    The  poem  goes  on  to  say:  — 

"Said  Indians  on  board  had  left  a  gun. 
Unto  the  same  said  Jacob  Tilton  run. 
Catching  it  up  to  shoot  them,  it  mist  fire. 
Which  disappointed  him  of  his  desire. 
He  catching  up  a  stout  great  setting  Pole, 
With  all  his  might  he  struck  them  on  the  jcle. 
Giving  them  many  blows  upon  the  head; 
Over  they  turns,  and  sunk  like  any  lead. 
We  think  our  Country  now  at  Peace  might  rest, 
If  all  our  Indian  foes  were  thus  supprest. 
Let  God  the  glory  of  such  conquest  have, 
Who  can  by  few  as  well  as  many  save. 
Then  having  thus  dispatch'd  the  savage  crew. 
They  presently  consulted  what  best  to  do. 

20 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

Three  more  Canoes  ladden  to  the  brim 

With  Indians  as  deep  as  they  could  swim, 

Came  padling  down  with  all  their  might  and  main 

Hoping  the  valient  Tiltons  to  retain. 

Daniel,  which  was  both  nimble,  stout  and  spry, 

He  fetch'd  an  ax,  and  running  presently. 

He  cuts  the  cable;  then  they  hoist  their  sail. 

Leaving  their  Neighbors,  that  they  might  bewail 

Over  their  Governor  who  in  dispute, 

Had  term'd  himself  as  great  and  good  as  Shute.* 

After  they  had  from  foes  escaped  thus. 

They  sail'd  and  came  into  Alintinnicus"  (now  Matinicus). 

Here  their  wounds  were  dressed  by  the  English  and  then 

"Their  course  for  Ipswich  town  they  next  contrive, 
Where  in  a  few  days  their  Vessel  did  arrive: 
Through  so  much  danger,  misery  and  pain, 
They  are  returned  to  their  friends  again. 
Thus  I  have  summed  up  this  tragick  scene. 
As  from  their  mouths  it  told  to  me  has  been." 

*  Shute  was  then  Governor  of  Massachusetts. 


1867. 


FORT  ^^  HILL 

BOSTON,  MASS. 


1892. 


|rjpmwMff.Tin:i».niye:i:2c    


HIGH  STREET  BRIDGE,  OVER  OLIVER. 


HIGH   STREET,  COR.  OLIVER. 


Then  *  anD  *  noW. 


FORT  HILL  IN    1867  AND   IN    1892 


Kindness  of  J .  Chany 


The  Sailors'  Home  and  the  waters  of  Boston  Harbour  can  be  seen  in  the  background  of 
the  picture  on  the  left. 


21 


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SOME  MERCHANTS  a7id  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 


ALPHEUS  HARDY  &:  CO. 

Alphcus  Hardy  and  Ezra  Baker  in  the  early  forties  were  successful 
in  the  coastwise  trade,  so  much  so,  in  fact,  that  for  the  purpose  of 
extending  their  commerce  they  purchased  the  "  Otho,"  a  little  brig 
of  150  tons,  to  send  to  the  Mediterranean,  and  although  she  was 
very  small  the  merchants  of  Boston  looked  with  jealous  eye  upon 
her.  The  "  Otho "  made  a  remarkable  trip,  and  arrived  in  Boston 
long  before  the  rest  of  the  fleet.  At  once  her  cargo  was  advertised 
at  auction,  and  buyers  thronged  the  pier  where  old  John  Tyler  was 
reaping  fancy  prices,  when  in  the  midst  of  the  sale  one  of  Boston's 
merchants  drove  up  in  a  chaise  and  called  out  to  the  crowd:  "Buy 
easy,  boys,  buy  easy!  My  bark  is  just  signalled,  and  she  will  be 
here  before  night."  Perhaps  the  sale  would  have  terminated  more 
successfully  had  the  buyers  known  that  this  bark  had  not  signalled, 
and  that  a  fortnight  was  to  elapse  before  she  appeared  in  port.  In 
spite  of  this  misfortune  which  attended  the  disposition  of  the 
"  Otho's  "  first  cargo  under  her  new  ownership,  the  firm  of  Hardy 
and  Baker  prospered,  and  became  a  worthy  predecessor  of  the  later 
firm  of  Alpheus  Hardy  &  Co.  The  latter  firm  had  the  distinction 
of  owning  many  swift  vessels.  They  also  never  sold  a  ship  nor 
changed  a  flag  through  fear  of  either  foreign  or  domestic  foe,  and 
perhaps  as  a  reward  they  never  lost  a  ship  to  the  Confederates 
during  the  Rebellion.  Their  ships  included  the  "  Conquest," 
"  Ocean  Pearl,"  "  Cowper,"  "  Granite,"  "  Wild  Rover,"  and  "  Moun- 
tain Wave,"  and  their  barks  were  the  "  Young  Turk,"  "  Kepler," 
''Cleber,"  "Wild  Gazelle,"  "The  Turk,"  "Bounding  Billow," 
"Daniel  Webster,"  "Dorchester,"  and  "Young  Turk,  2nd."  The 
"Daniel  Webster "  owned  by  the  Hardy  firm  was  usually  the 
ship  that  brought  the  first  cargo  of  fruit  into  the  Boston  market,  a 
coveted  honor  among  the  vessels  of  those  days.  She  was  later 
owned  by  John  S.  Emery  &  Co.  of  Boston. 

In  a  letter  written  by  Alpheus  Hardy  at  Gibraltar,  November  20, 
1845,  he  said:  "I  sailed  from  our  good  city,  the  Queen  city  of  the 
States.  My  leaving  was  under  the  most  pleasing  and  happy  cir- 
cumstances, so  far  as  conveyance  and  company  were  concerned,  our 
firm  having  prepared  a  new  bark  completely  fitted  for  our  comfort. 
My  pride  was  moved  by  going  in  my  own  vessel,  and  with  a  cargo 
under  my  control.  Poor  human  nature!"  During  this  tour  made 
by  Mr.  Hardy  to  the  Nile  and  the  Holy  Land,  ships  belonging  to  the 
firm  were  frequently  met  with,  and  in  them  were  sent  home  many 
purchases,  and  mementos  of  travel. 

It  was  the  "  Wild  Rover "  belonging  to  Alpheus  Hardy  &  Co. 
that  in  1865  brought  into  the  United  States  the  first  Japanese  to  come 
to  this  country  in  search  of  learning,  and  it  was  Alpheus  Hardy  who  be- 
came the  benefactor  of  and  who  educated  Joseph  Hardy  Neesima,  the 
young  immigrant,  and  who  lived  to  see  his  protege  serve  Japan  and 
there  found  Doshisha  University.  Neesima's  escape  from  Japan  to  China 

24 


From  a  photograph  Kindness  oj  Arthur  Sherburne   Hardy 

JOSEPH  HARDY  NEESIMA 

He  escaped  from  Japan  and  came  to  America  on  one  of  the 
Hardy  ships.  He  was  then  educated  by  Alpheus  Hardy,  who 
always  took  a  great  interest  in  the  young  Japanese.  Neesima 
took  Mr.  Hardy's  name  for  his  middle  name. 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

was  made  in  an  American  vessel  of  which  William  T,  Savory  of 
Salem,  Mass.,  was  master.  Captain  Savory  kindly  consented  to 
aid  the  young  Japanese,  and,  in  order  to  secure  his  safety  from  the 
custom-house  officers,  locked  Neesima  in  the  store-room  of  the  cabin. 
At  Shanghai,  Neesima  was  transferred  to  the  Hardy  ship  "  Wild 
Rover,"  commanded  by  Captain  Horace  S.  Taylor  of  Chatham, 
Mass.,  and  after  a  prolonged  voyage  of  eight  months  the  vessel 
reached  Cape  Cod.  When  the  young  Japanese  came  on  board  he 
could  speak  only  a  few  words  of  English,  and  when  he  was  asked  his 
name  by  the  captain  he  replied  that  it  was  "  Neesima  Shimeta." 
*'  I  think  I  had  better  call  you  Joe,"  rejoined  the  captain,  and  from 
that  time  he  was  known  by  that  name.  Upon  meeting  Neesima  in 
Boston,  Alpheus  Hardy  undertook  the  education  of  the  young 
foreigner  who  had  risked  his  life  to  come  here  in  search  of  knowledge. 
He  was  placed  in  Phillips  Academy  at  Andover,  and  afterwards  was 
sent  to  Amherst  College,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1870.  He  is 
remembered  as  the  Apostle  to  Japan.  Up  to  Mr.  Hardy's  death 
in  1887  his  interest  in  Neesima's  work  was  very  great.  Professor 
T.  Makino  and  Professor  Mizusaki,  who  have  been  living  in  Boston 
recently,  were  two  of  Neesima's  pall-bearers  when  he  died  in  1890. 

Alpheus  H.  Hardy  succeeded  his  father  as  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Alpheus  Hardy  &  Co.  The  younger  Mr.  Hardy  in  1853 — when 
but  thirteen  years  of  age — crossed  the  Atlantic  in  the  320-ton  bark 
"  Young  Turk  "  belonging  to  his  father  and  manned  by  a  Chatham 
crew.  During  this  voyage  young  Hardy  kept  a  diary  in  which  he 
recorded  impressions  of  the  sea  and  of  places  visited,  his  last  entry, 
November  9,  1853,  giving  a  vivid  picture  of  the  lad's  joy  in  seeing 
Boston  again.  "  On  Long  Wharf,"  he  says,  "  I  recognized  father 
among  the  crowd,  and  also  the  blacks  (black  horses)  and  mother's 
face  at  the  carriage  window.  I  touched  the  wharf  before  the  ship  and 
was  soon  out  of  the  crowd  and  where  in  comparative  seclusion,  I  might 
be  welcomed  at  home." 

At  the  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  Chatham,  Mass.,  in  1912, 
Mr.  Hardy  recalled  this  early  voyage.  "  In  the  years,"  said  Mr. 
Hardy,  "  when  we  still  owned  ships,  so  far  as  possible,  we  chose 
Chatham  or  Cape  men  as  masters.  Among  them  was  John  Paine, 
to  whom  was  gladly  paid  a  higher  wage  if  he  would  take  his  wife 
with  him;  David  Nye  Nickerson,  Thomas  Crowell,  Thomas  Sparrow, 
Andrew  Reynolds  and  others.  .  .  .  The  choice  was  based  upon 
the  confidence  and  belief  in  the  character  and  ability  of  the  men. 
In  connection  with  this,  let  me  mention  an  incident  which  occurred 
this  morning.  Captain  Ephraim  Smith  told  me  that  my  father  told 
him  when  he  had  chartered  him  for  a  special  voyage,  '  I  have  not 
chartered  your  vessel,  but  you.'  It  was  not  the  ship,  but  the  man 
he  wanted.  I  recall  the  unwillingness  to  let  the  now  Rev.  S.  S. 
Nickerson  go  to  sea  in  command  of  the  '  Heroine,'  which  he  had 
chartered,  because  of  his  extreme  youthful  appearance,  until  he 
learned  that  he  was  a  Chatham  boy.  That  settled  it,  and  he  made 
a  successful  voyage." 

26 


"nie  Best  Cliaiice  Yet,  for 


A  Meeting  will  be  tjeld  in  f"<S II ASSET,  at  the  Office   oC 

H .  J .  1 1 11 1 1  ft , 

On  SATIRDAV,  Janimry  2Tt!«,  at  91  ^ft'C'lork.  ibv  the  |nn- 
poKe  of  forming  a  Company,  to  be  eaSb^l  3he  "  S^iith  Nhore  an*? 
Calitbrnia  Joint  St«M>k  Com|)any ;''  to  be  consfHtsed  of  SH> 
Members,  and  eaeh  Member  paying  S9»30^>. 

COH ASSET,  J.ANl.VRY  «i,  IS4J>. 


Fropeller  Fower  Pressei,  142  ^^aahtngtoB  St.,  Dotton. 

Kindness  of  the  Boston  Marine  Museum 


From  a  broadside 


NOTICE  OF  A  MEETING  HELD  IN  COHASSET  IN  1849  TO  FORM  A  COMPANY 
TO  SEEK  GOLD  DURING  THE  CALIFORNIA  GOLD  CRAZE 

In  this  year  775   vessels   cleared  from  Atlantic  ports  for  San  Francisco,  Massachusetts 
sending  224.     91,405  people  arrived  in  the  Golden  City  during  the  year  1849. 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 


OSBORX   HOWF 

Osborn  Howes  was  born  in  Dennis,  Mass.,  in  1806,  the  family 
having  settled  on  Cape  Cod  as  early  as  1635.  His  father,  who  was  also 
a  well-known  sea-captain,  was  captured  by  the  English  during  the  war 
of  1812,  but  managed  to  escape,  and  succeeded  in  recapturing 
his  own  vessel,  bringing  her  and  her  crew  back  into  Portland 
Harbour.  Nothing  could  be  more  interesting  than  the  description 
in  Mr.  Howes'  autobiography  of  his  early  life  on  Cape  Cod,  which 
pictures  his  mother  spinning  and  weaving  the  clothing  for  the  whole 
household,  while  the  son  wound  quills  and  attended  to  the  farm. 

In  1818  the  Howes  family  put  all  their  property  on  board  a  small 
schooner  and  sailed  to  Boston,  going  to  Dedham  by  stage-coach, 
where  they  took  up  their  residence,  the  younger  Howes  journeying 
to  the  new  home  on  top  of  a  pile  of  furniture  which  was  placed  on 
the  ox-cart.     The  trip  consumed  all  of  the  day  and  part  of  the  night. 

At  an  early  age  he  was  sent  by  his  father,  who  sailed  ships  for 
Edmund  Baylies  and  Thomas  B.  Curtis,  to  Copenhagen  under 
Captain  Burgess.  The  second  voyage  was  as  supercargo  in  the 
"  Cipher,"  which  had  been  commanded  by  his  father.  Several  years 
later  David  Ellis  asked  him  to  take  the  bark  "  Hebe "  to  Brazil, 
expressing  this  promotion  by  saying  that  he  could  not  afford  to  pay 
the  salaries  of  both  a  captain  and  supercargo,  and  that  he  would 
therefore  have  to  act  in  both  capacities.  Howes,  of  course,  was 
overjoyed  and,  with  an  interest  in  the  undertaking,  sailed  for  Per- 
nambuco.  On  his  return  he  purchased  the  remaining  interest  in  the 
"  Hebe  "  and  made  several  successful  voyages  in  her,  one  of  them 
being  to  Turkey,  where  he  was  hailed  as  the  first  American  captain  to 
visit  that  country.  He  then  took  his  brother-in-law  into  partnership, 
forming  the  firm  of  Howes  &  Crowell,  which  continued  in  business 
for  thirty-four  years.  The  "Josephine,"  "  George  Hallett,"  "  Newton^" 
and  "  Osborne  Howes  "  also  carried  the  flag  of  the  firm.  The  business 
of  the  house  increased  at  the  time  of  the  gold  craze  in  California,  and 
many  vessels  owned  by  them  were  employed  in  trade  with  California, 
China,  Australia,  and  Western  Europe.  During  the  latter  years  of 
Captain  Howes'  life  he  was  persuaded  to  manage  the  American 
Steamboat  Company  and  to  invest  in  some  of  its  stock.  The  enter- 
prise proved  unprofitable,  and  Mr.  Howes  had  to  give  all  his  energy 
at  an  advanced  age  to  wind  up  the  affairs  of  the  Company,  the  strain 
on  his  physique  being  very  severe. 

In  1874  he  foresaw  the  wane  of  shipping  investments  and  spent 
the  next  few  years  of  his  life  in  selling  his  vessels. 

When  he  died,  an  intimate  friend  of  his  said,  "  To  have  known  him 
was  a  great  privilege;  to  have  had  personal  acquaintance  with  him 
was  to  believe  forever  in  the  men  who  made  us  a  nation,  and 
consequently  to  have  faith  in  its  future." 

For  many  years  Howes  and  his  family  shared  a  house  on  Fort  Hill 
with  Captain  Ezra  H.  Baker.  The  family  now  spells  the  name  Osborne. 

29 


SOME  MERCHANTS  aiid  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 


I 

T 


From  a  print 


f  "iv.ii^flfj   i-ffw  :»■ 


•CAMI'XOCk' 


Kindness  nf  Louis  Bacon 


This  famous  clipper  was  owned  by  Daniel  C.  Bacon  and  was  built  by  Samuel  Hall.  She 
was  one  of  the  fastest  vessels  ever  built.  Her  figurehead  of  a  Game  Cock  with  outstretched 
neck  arkd  head  was  known  to  many  ports  of  the  world. 


CAPTAIN  DANIEL  C.  BACON 

The  "  Canton  Packet"  while  in  China,  in  1820,  was  blown  ashore  by 
a  typhoon,  which  left  her  almost  high  and  dry  on  the  rice-fields.  Daniel 
Bacon  had  gone  over  as  captain  of  the  "Alert,"  and  as  soon  as  he 
discovered  the  mishap  he  rushed  over  to  assist  in  floating  the  American 
vessel.  He  gave  orders  to  one  of  the  sailors  to  "  bear  a  hand  and 
loose  that  topsail  "  and  "to  cut  away  the  stops,"  and  was  surprised 
to  receive  the  answer  that  it  couldn't  be  done,  as  he  had  no  knife. 
"A  pretty  sailor  without  a  knife,"  said  Captain  Bacon,  not  realizing 
at  all  that  he  was  working  with  and  talking  to  Robert  Bennet  Forbes, 
who  was  soon  to  become  his  most  intimate  friend.  In  fact,  the  two 
families  have  always  maintained  that  in  later  life  when  either  of 
these  well-known  captains  was  taking  a  nap,  each  one  gave  instructions 
to  be  waked  only  for  his  chum. 

Captain  Bacon  was  born  in  Barnstable,  Cape  Cod,  the  family  hav- 
ing moved  there  from  England  in  1639,  and  the  property  where  they 
resided  still  remains  in  the  family,  although  the  original  house  is  not 
now  standing.  At  this  earlv  date  the  Cape-Codders  used  to  refer 
to  "Goodman"  and  "  Goodwife "  instead  of  "Mr."  and  "Mrs." 
When  the  first  railroad  was  built  on  the  Cape,  the  Bacons  relate  that 
one  of  the  women  of  the  family  had  such  an  aversion  to  its  being 
laid  that  when  she  went  out  to  drive  she  carried  a  large  turkey-feather 

30 


From   a   portrait 


Kindness  of  Louis   Bacon 


CAPTAIN  DANIEL  C.  BACON 


One  of  the  most  famous  of  old  sea  captains,  and  builder  of  the 
"Gamecock,"    for   many   years   one   of   the    fastest   ships   afloat. 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

fan  to  hold  in  front  of  her  eyes  so  that  she  couldn't  see  the  trains 
go  by. 

Life  on  the  Cape  was  excellent  training  for  the  sea,  and  it  wasn't 
at  all  surprising  that  one  of  the  later  members  of  the  family,  Daniel 
Bacon,  should  at  an  early  age  set  out  on  the  old  family  white  horse 
for  Boston  to  seek  his  fortune  as  a  sailor,  hiring  some  one  to  ride  his 
horse  back  to  Barnstable.  He  shipped  before  the  mast,  rising  quickly 
in  rank  until  he  became  first  mate  under  Captain  William  Sturgis, 
and  then  captain  of  vessels  owned  by  Ropes  &  Pickman  and  by 
Theodore  Lyman,  both  of  whom  were  prominent  merchants  of  this 
city.  Bacon  sailed  several  times  under  Captain  Sturgis,  and  when 
the  latter  was  married,  the  two  brought  their  ditty-bags  and  sewed 
together  the  carpet  for  the  bride  to  stand  upon.  It  is  interesting 
to  record  that,  nearly  a  century  later,  a  marriage  took  place  between 
two  of  their  grandchildren. 

Captain  Bacon  commanded  the  "Atahualpa,"  the  "  Vancouver,"  the 
"Alert,"  and  other  ships,  and  later  in  life  built  the  well-known  "  Game- 
cock," one  of  the  first  of  the  California  clippers,  and  other  vessels 
for  his  own  use.  For  many  years  the  "  Gamecock  "  was  the  fastest 
ship  afloat,  and  it  was  probably  this  vessel  that  prompted  the  famous 
challenge  for  a  match  race  which  was  made  to  British  shipbuilding  in 
1851  by  the  American  Navigation  Club,  of  which  Bacon  was  president. 
The  "  Gamecock  "  had  a  figurehead  of  a  flying  bird  with  outstretched 
neck  and  head,  ready  for  any  contest.  Captain  Bacon  besides  being  a 
successful  captain  was  also  a  good  trader,  which  was  just  as  important 
in  the  early  days  of  trading,  when  great  judgment  and  secrecy  had  to 
be  used.     The  "  Gamecock  "  is  shown  on  page  30. 

An  amusing  entry  in  Captain  Bacon's  log  of  the  "Atahualpa " 
reads,  "All  sail  set  that  is  of  the  least  use  to  drive  us  along  toward 
the  Yankee  lasses."  A  later  entry,  which  rather  disclaims  this  fond- 
ness for  the  fair  sex,  reads,  "  It  is  so  fine  and  smooth  that  I  should 
like  to  have  about  forty  or  fifty  pretty  lasses  on  board  for  two  or 
three  hours  upon  a  tea-drinking  party,  if  there  is  any  pleasure  in  them, 
but  for  my  own  part,  I  had  rather  be  excused  any  time  than  to  go 
to  one  of  them." 

Long  after  Captain  Bacon  gave  up  the  sea,  Mrs.  George  Lyman, 
daughter-in-law  of  Theodore  Lyman,  became  very  ill  and  was  ordered 
by  her  physician  to  go  to  Cuba.  She  refused  to  go  unless  Captain 
Bacon  sailed  her  down,  and,  being  of  an  obliging  disposition,  he 
donned  his  sea  togs  again  and  took  her  to  Cuba,  together  with 
her  carriage  and  horses.  Another  time  he  was  obliged  to  undergo  a 
severe  operation,  before  the  days  of  anaesthetics.  Dr.  Warren  tied 
him  down  and  operated  on  his  patient,  who  suffered  terribly.  When 
it  was  over.  Bacon  said  jokingly,  "  Dr.  Warren,  if  I  ever  get  you  on 
blue  water,  I'll  give  you  hell!" 

An  interesting  incident  in  his  life  was  the  lodging  of  the  Siamese 
twins  in  his  woodshed,  they  having  been  brought  to  America  as  a 
speculation  by   Captain  Abel   Coflin,   one  of   Bacon's   under-officers. 

Daniel  Bacon  has  been  described  as  the  "  synonym  of  mercantile 

32 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

enterprise,  honor  and  integrity."  Captain  Forbes  when  told  that  he 
had  died  of  enlargement  of  the  heart  remarked  that  this  was  im- 
possible, for  his  heart  couldn't  be  any  larger  than  it  always  had  been. 

The  family  lived  at  one  time  in  Temple  Place,  later  moving  to 
Jamaica  Plain  near  the  Pond. 

A  prized  possession  is  a  silver  tray  service  given  Captain  Bacon 
by  the  underwriters  for  saving  the  cargo  of  his  vessel  which  went 
ashore  in  a  storm  at  Nantasket.  Young  Bacon  hired  an  ox-team  and 
drove  back  and  forth  through  the  icy  water  until  all  the  cargo  was 
safely  on  shore. 


CXPTATN"  l^ORFRT  ?>F.N\^FT  FOT^P^FS 

"Commodore"  Forbes,  or  "the  seamen's  friend,"  as  he  was  often 
called,  went  to  sea  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  had  been  captured  three 
times  by  the  British  before  he  was  nine  years  old  while  travelling 
with  his  mother,  and  commanded  the  "  Canton  Packet "  when  he 
was  only  twenty,  thereby  fulfilling  the  fondest  dream  of  a  boy  of  those 
days.  Throughout  his  career  he  always  lived  up  to  the  advice  given 
to  him  by  Captain  William  Sturgis:  "Always  go  straight  forward, 
and  if  you  meet  the  Devil  cut  him  in  two  and  go  between  the 
pieces;  if  any  one  imposes  on  you,  tell  him  to  whistle  against  a  North- 
easter, and  to  bottle  up  moonshine."  Captain  Forbes,  or  "  Black  Ben/' 
as  he  was  also  often  called,  was  a  merchant  as  well  as  a  sailor,  and  was 
a  partner  of  Russell  &  Co.  for  some  years.  As  was  the  case  with  so 
many  men  of  his  day,  when  he  or  his  mother  needed  any  money  it 
was  a  question  of  another  trip  to  China.  The  point  of  view  at  the 
present  time  is  in  great  contrast  to  the  ideas  expressed  in  his 
memoirs,  in  which  he  wrote,  "Looking  back  to  1824  when  I  was 
content  in  the  command  of  a  little  ship  of  264  tons,  on  a  salary  of  six 
hundred  dollars  per  annum,  I  conceded  that  I  had  arrived  at  the  acme 
of  my  hopes."  "  Commodore  "  Forbes  built  and  sailed  many  ships. 
When  the  well-known  clipper  "  Paul  Jones  "  was  launched  in  Medford, 
a  number  of  Captain  Forbes's  friends  were  present  to  witness  the 
event.  No  wine  was  served  for  lunch,  and  when  one  of  the  guests 
was  asked  by  the  "  Commodore  "  how  he  liked  the  vessel,  he  replied, 
"  I  think  she  is  going  to  be  a  d — d  dry  ship."  Another  time  when 
sailing  to  China  as  a  passenger  in  the  "  Mary  Chilton  "  a  Chinese 
pilot  hove  In  sight,  remarking,  "  Missee  Captain,  you  must  take  in  that 
stu'n  sail,  plenty  lock  (rock)  here,  stlong  tide."  The  Captain  then 
asked  how  much  the  Chinaman  wanted  for  taking  the  ship  to  Hong 
Kong,  to  which  he  replied,  "  Ole  Flen  [friend]  askee  hundred  dollah, 
welly  cheap!"  "Commodore"  Forbes,  who  knew  every  inch  of  the 
China  coast,  approached  at  this  point  in  the  conversation  and  was 
recognized  by  the  pilot,  who  immediately  changed  his  figures,  exclaim- 
ing, "  Hi-yah,  ole  Foxe!  Ten  dollah  can  do,  Missee  Captain."  Even 
at  this  reduced  price  the  pilot  was  unnecessary. 

So  fond  was   Captain   Forbes   of  anything   pertaining  to  the   sea 

33 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

that  he  built  port-holes  around  the  upper  part  of  his  house  on  Milton 
Hill  to  make  his  house  on  land  seem  more  like  his  home  on  the  sea. 
He  occupied  a  great  deal  of  his  time  in  making  models  of  ships  for  the 
boys  of  Boston  and  Milton;  when  a  boy  grew  to  a  certain  mark  on 
the  wall  of  the  workshop  he  was  entitled  to  one  of  these  miniature 
sail-boats,  and,  as  they  were  much  prized,  many  a  boy  tried  to  tiptoe 
to  make  himself  tall  enough  to  get  the  coveted  boat. 

"  Commodore  "  Forbes  led  a  life  full  of  excitement  and  adventure. 
He  was  interested  in  over  seventy  vessels;  commanded  the  "James- 
town," which  took  provisions  to  the  Irish  during  the  famine  of 
1847;  hunted  in  Pau  when  over  sixty-five  years  old;  founded  the 
Sailors'  Snug  Harbour,  in  Quincy;  superintended  the  building  of  gun- 
boats for  our  Government  during  the  war;  and  when  the  "  Europa  " 
ran  into  and  sank  the  "Charles  Bartlett "  in  mid-ocean  he  jumped 
into  the  sea  and  saved  many  lives,  for  which  he  received  several 
medals. 

He  once  wrote  to  a  friend  that  he  expected  him  to  jingle  a  marline- 
spike  on  his  monument  at  Forest  Hills  before  many  days.  Through 
some  mistake  this  remark  got  into  the  newspaper  and  therefore  the 
"  Commodore  "  was  obliged  to  write  again.  "  Dear  old  sinner,"  he 
said,  "  since  the  report  of  my  serious  illness  I  have  been  obliged  to 
hire  a  police  officer  to  stand  at  the  front  door  and  reply  to  the  numer- 
ous kind  enquiries  as  to  my  condition.  The  Smiths  and  the  Joneses, 
undertakers,  have  been  looking  around  expecting  a  job!  My  daughter 
telegraphs  for  particulars  and  has  prepared  her  kit  to  leave  Iowa; 
my  servants  have  given  warning,  alleging  they  cannot  be  kept  running 
to  the  front  door  to  answer  the  bell;  I  have  been  so  worried  that  I 
have  been  obliged  to  call  in  Dr.  Watson;  my  credit  at  the  banks  has 
suffered,  and,  worse  than  all,  my  creditors,  the  butcher,  the  baker, 
and  the  grocer,  have  sent  in  their  bills!  I  am  still  living  and  have 
bought  a  six-shooter,  so  be  on  your  guard."  A  short  time  before  his 
death,  when  a  friend  was  calling  upon  him,  he  said,  "  I  have  gone 
down  to  the  docks,  and  I  am  waiting  for  the  old  ferryman  to  carry 
me  over."  His  dying  wish  was  that  the  following  words  be  placed 
on  his  tombstone:  "He  tried  to  do  his  duty." 

H.  C.  THACHER  &  CO. 

The  counting-rooms  of  H.  C.  Thacher  &  Co.  were  at  13  Central 
Wharf  before  the  days  when  Fort  Hill  had  been  dumped  into  the 
sea  to  form  a  part  of  Atlantic  Avenue.  Many  of  the  boys  of  Boston 
used  to  prowl  around  this  wharf  and  those  near  by,  to  see  their 
fathers'  vessels  from  foreign  ports  discharge  their  cargoes.  Another 
interesting  event  was  to  see  the  Yarmouth  and  Cape  Cod  packets 
tie  up  to  their  docks,  which  were  directly  opposite  the  office  of  the 
Thachers.  H.  C.  Thacher  was  born  at  Yarmouth  on  the  Cape  in 
1829,  at  a  time  when  most  of  the  people  of  Cape  Cod  drew  their 
livelihood  from  the  sea.     At  one  time  he  used  to  tell  his  family  that 

35 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  oj  OLD  BOSTON 

he  knew  over  fifty  sea-captains  who  lived  along  the  main  street  of 
Yarmouth  within  a  distance  of  less  than  two  miles. 

He  organized  his  firm  in  1852  and  for  almost  half  a  century  he  was 
engaged  in  the  Mediterranean  trade. 

There  is  not  a  Cape  Cod  family  that  has  not  had  its  sea  tragedy 
as  well  as  its  romance,  and  the  Thacher  family  was  no  exception. 
There  were  two  brothers  in  Yarmouth,  called  Bartlett  and  Chandler 
Thacher.  Bartlett  was  only  thirteen  years  old  when  he  shipped  as 
cabin  boy  on  H.  C,  Thacher's  bark  "  Mimosa,"  which  plied  between 
Boston  and  Smyrna  and  which  was  captained  by  a  live  Yankee 
skipper  named  Hall.  She  was  a  clipper,  and  her  captain  used  to 
crowd  on  all  the  sail  he  could.  Bartlett  made  his  first  trip  to  Smyrna 
and  returned  safely  to  Cape  Cod  and  was  on  the  point  of  sailing  on  his 
second  trip  to  the  same  port.  On  the  very  day  that  he  was  to 
leave,  his  younger  brother.  Chandler,  who  was  only  ten  years  old, 
was  drowned  while  playing  at  the  Yarmouth  wharf.  Word  was 
immediately  sent  to  Bartlett,  who  was  already  aboard  his  vessel  at 
East  Boston,  to  give  up  sailing,  but  there  was  some  delay  in 
delivering  the  message  and  the  "  Mimosa  "  had  already  put  to  sea. 
She  made  a  fast  trip  to  Smyrna  and  with  a  large  cargo  on  board 
started  as  usual  on  her  homeward  voyage.  This  was  her  last  trip, 
as  neither  the  vessel  nor  any  of  the  crew  were  ever  heard  of  again.  The 
two  nephews,  Thomas  Chandler  Thacher  and  Lewis  Bartlett  Thacher, 
who  are  living  in  Boston  to-day,  were  named  after  their  uncles,  who 
died  so  tragically  in  their  youth. 


From  a  painting  by  Robert  W .  Salmon  about  1840 


Chimed  by  Henry  W .  Cunningham 


BRIG  "PICO"  OF  BOSTON 


Lying  in  the  harbour  of  Fayal,  with  Pico  Mountain  in  the  distance.      The  "Pico"  was 
owned  by  A.  &  C.  Cunningham. 

36 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 


X  -  TV  -  f' 


Within  a  few  years  could  still  be  seen  in  one  of  the  windows  of  the 
office  of  A.  &  C.  Cunningham,  at  17  Rowe's  Wharf,  a  round  hole 
through  which  the  two  brothers,  Andrew  and  Charles,  members  of 
this  firm,  used  to  place  their  old-fashioned  spy-glass  in  order  to  watch 
their  ships  as  they  set  sail  for  foreign  shores,  or  to  sight  them  as 
they  came  up  the  harbour  to  their  berths.  These  two  brothers  were 
well-known  Boston  merchants  and  ship-owners,  and  were  partners 
during  most  of  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  firm 
was  founded  in  1822,  just  after  Charles  Cunningham  returned  from 
Fayal,  where  he  had  married  Roxa  Dabney,  the  daughter  of  John 
Bass  Dabney,  the  ceremony  having  been  performed  by  the  father  of 
the  bride  in  his  capacity  as  consul.  These  two  families,  even  up  to 
the  present  time,  have  always  been  closely  related  both  in  marriage 
and  business  since  the  year  1783,  when  Charles's  father,  Andrew, 
and  John  Bass  Dabney  married  two  of  the  many  daughters  of  Joseph 
Lewis  of  Dedham. 

This  house  traded  to  a  large  extent  with  Sicily  and  Italy,  bringing 
home  quantities  of  oranges  and  lemons,  as  well  as  macaroni  and 
sulphur.  It  is  surprising  that  Boston  got  as  good  fruit  as  it  did  in 
those  days  when  one  reads  in  the  log  books  that  some  vessels  took 
thirty  days  to  come  from  Gibraltar.  The  firm  also  imported  hemp 
from  Russia,  sending  ships  to  Riga  on  the  Baltic,  and  in  the  summer 
season  to  the  port  of  Archangel,  on  the  White  Sea;  logwood,  indigo, 
and  tortoise  shell  from  Honduras;  and  from  Fayal,  through  their  rela- 
tives, the  Dabneys,  wine,  fruit,  and  whale  oil,  the  latter  commodity 
being  left  at  that  port  by  Nantucket  and  New  Bedford  whalers.  The 
firm  also  traded  with  the  West  Indies,  Central  and  South  America, 
and  Cape  Town,  and  during  the  later  years  imported  teas  from  China. 

Both  partners  were  men  of  very  methodical  business  methods  and 
were  at  their  counting-room  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  which 
was  the  custom  of  the  day;  in  fact,  they  were  typical  representatives 
of  the  old-time  merchants.  The  late  Aaron  Sargent,  in  a  recent  paper 
read  before  the  Boston  Society,  on  the  old  merchants  of  Boston, 
described  Andrew  and  Charles  as  "  dignified  and  severely  polite." 
After  the  "  Beacon  "  was  removed  and  Beacon  Hill  was  dug  down 
to  make  room  for  the  new  State  House,  Mt.  Vernon  Street  was  laid  out, 
and  here  were  the  residences  of  both  the  Cunninghams,  Andrew  re- 
siding at  No.  25,  behind  the  State  House,  and  Charles  at  No.  48,  near 
Walnut  Street. 

Many  fine  vessels  were  owned  or  managed  by  these  two  merchants, 
including  among  others  the  ships  "  Morea,"  "Adrian,"  "Helen";  the 
barks  "Francia,"  "Matilda,"  "Adelaide  Metcalf,"  "Elizabeth  Leavitt," 
"Fame,"  and  "Peru";  the  brigs  "Spartan,"  "Boston,"  "  Swiftsure," 
"  Wave,"  and  "  Pico,"  the  latter  being  shown  in  a  cut  on  the  opposite 
page. 

37 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

At  the  time  of  the  death  of  Andrew  Cunningham,  in  1861,  Captain 
John  Codman,  who  had  sailed  many  voyages  for  him,  wrote  a  letter 
to  a  Boston  paper,  in  which  he  paid  warm  tribute  to  his  ability  and 
sterling  character,  relating  also  the  following  incident  in  his  career. 
Long  before  the  days  of  cables,  when  much  of  the  business  in  foreign 
ports  was  transacted  by  the  captains,  John  Codman  was  about  to 
set  sail  for  China  with  a  large  cargo,  and,  as  much  money  had  recently 
been  lost  by  Boston  merchants  in  importing  tea,  he  was  especially  in- 
structed not  to  invest  in  a  pound  for  his  return  cargo.  When  the  ship 
arrived  in  China  conditions  had  so  changed  that  tea  seemed  like  the 
most  promising  purchase,  and  Captain  Codman  loaded  his  ship  en- 
tirely with  that  product.  When  he  arrived  in  Boston  his  cargo  of  tea 
showed  a  handsome  profit,  but  Mr.  Cunningham  nevertheless  called 
the  captain  into  his  private  office  and  severely  reprimanded  him  for 
disobeying  orders.  As  he  left  the  office,  however,  the  old  gentleman 
remarked  that  the  voyage  had  been  a  successful  one  and  handed 
Captain  Codman,  to  his  great  surprise,  an  envelope  containing  a  check 
for  $1,000. 

Another  one  of  the  Cunningham  captains  was  Jonathan  Edwards 
Scott,  who  was  well  known  in  Boston.  It  is  related  of  him  that  on 
one  of  his  voyages  to  Boston  he  had  lost  both  his  anchors,  and  was 
afraid  that  any  towboat  which  he  took  to  bring  him  in  might  claim 
salvage,  so  he  piled  a  lot  of  rubbish  in  the  bows  to  hide  the  deficiency, 
and  when  the  towboat  hailed  him  and  asked  if  he  wanted  a 
tow,  he  said  he  guessed  not,  adding  that  he  thought  he  could  sail  up. 
"  Well,"  said  the  towboat  captain,  "  I'm  going  up  anyway,  and 
may  as  well  take  you  up,"  and  he  named  a  very  small  sum.  "  All 
right,"  said  Captain  Scott,  and  threw  out  his  line.  When  nearing  the 
city  the  towboat  hailed  him  to  know  where  he  wanted  to  anchor. 
Captain  Scott  replied,  "  Put  me  right  in  at  Rowe's  Wharf,"  which  was 
done,  and  the  captain  thereupon  paid  his  towage  and  took  a  receipt 
in  full.  Upon  leaving  the  ship  the  towboat  captain  saw  she  had  no 
anchors,  and  said,  "Where  are  your  anchors.  Captain?"  and  when 
Scott  told  him  he  had  lost  them  the  other  exclaimed,  "  Good  Lord, 
Captain,  if  I  had  known  that,  I  would  not  have  towed  you  up  for 
less  than  $500." 

In  1849  Charles  Cunningham  retired  from  business,  and,  as  his 
brother's  two  sons,  James  Henry  and  Charles  West  Cunningham,  had 
grown  up  and  were  ready  to  take  a  hand  in  the  business,  the  younger 
members  of  the  family  were  admitted  as  partners,  the  firm  name  being 
changed  to  A.  Cunningham  &  Sons.  At  about  the  same  time  Charles 
Cunningham's  son,  named  Frederic,  formed  a  partnership  with  his 
cousin,  Charles  W.  Dabney,  Jr.,  under  the  name  of  Dabney  &  Cun- 
ningham, with  offices  at  59  Commercial  Wharf,  taking  over  a  part  of  the 
business  which  the  other  firm  had  transacted  with  the  Western  Islands. 
Their  vessels  included  "  Harbinger,"  "  Pomona,"  "Grampus,"  "  Me- 
lita,"  "  lo,"  "  Mermaid,"  "  Lotos,"  "  Azor,"  "  Fredonia,"  and  "  News- 
boy."    Still  another  firm  was  Cunningham  Brothers,  which  was  com- 

40 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

posed  of  two  nephews  of  Andrew  and  Charles  Cunningham,  John  A. 
and  Loring  Cunningham,  brothers  of  the  late  Edward  Cunningham, 
who  was  an  eminent  merchant  of  China,  and  partner  of  Russell  &  Co. 
Mr.  Edward  Cunningham's  place  was  in  Milton,  and  the  children 
thereabout  were  wont  to  wonder  at  the  great  Chinese  dragons  which 
served  as  gateposts  at  the  entrance  to  his  driveway.  They  were 
brought  from  China,  were  sunk  on  the  way,  but  were  recovered  with 
great  difficulty  and  landed  in  this  country. 


From  a  painling 


THE   KING'S   YACHT 


Kindness  of  Chester  Guild 


This  graceful  yacht  was  called  "Kamehameha  HI.,"  after  one  of  the  rulers  of  Hawaii  and 
was  fitted  out  by  him  as  a  man  of  war.  She  was  sailed  out  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  by  Cap- 
tain Fisher  A.  Newell  of  Boston,  and  was  captured  by  the  French  a  few  years  later.  She  was 
the  pride  of  Hawaii,  and  was  called  "Kammey"  by  the  islanders.  The  painting  from  which 
this  picture  is  taken  was  brought  from  Honolulu  to  Boston  by  Captain  Richard  Mitchell  of 
Nantucket,  who  landed  at  the  Islands  to  ship  home  some  whale  oil.  Captain  Mitchell  gave 
the  painting  to  his  son-in-law,  Seth  A.  Fowle,  who  had  it  hung  in  his  office  for  many  years. 
It  then  descended  to  his  cousin,  Chester  Guild,  and  it  was  through  his  kindness  that  it  was 
possible  to  obtain  this  photograph.  The  studding  sails  on  the  foretop  and  foretop  gallant 
yard  are  very  unusual.  Her  Boston  owners  were  Deming  Jarvis,  Benjamin  Howard,  and 
John  D.  Lambree. 


E.  ATKIXS  &  CO. 

Elisha  Atkins  started  in  the  Cuban  business  for  himself  in  1835.  In 
1866,  John  W.  Cummings,  who  had  been  his  chief  clerk  for  many 
years,  was  taken  into  partnership,  forming  the  firm  of  E.  Atkins  &  Co. 

The  senior  member,  Mr.  Atkins,  was  taken  when  a  boy  from  Cape 
Cod,  where  the  family  had  lived  since  1639,  to  Roxbury,  where  his 
parents  hoped  there  would  be  less  chance  of  his  being  tempted  to  go 
to  sea.     In  spite  of  this  precaution  he  entered  the  office  of  Dennis 

41 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD   BOSTON 

Brigham  on  Rowe's  Wharf,  and  went  out  as  supercargo  to  Caracas 
on  one  of  his  employer's  vessels,  a  few  years  later  going  into  the  sugar 
business  for  himself. 

In  1837,  during  the  panic  brought  on  by  the  failure  of  the  United 
States  Bank,  his  business  was  unprofitable.  The  following  year  the 
firm  of  Atkins  &  Freeman  was  formed,  William  F.  Freeman  being 
admitted  as  partner.  The  firm  had  offices  on  India  Wharf,  its  neigh- 
bors being  Thomas  Wigglesworth,  W.  F.  Cunningham  &  Co.,  George 
T.  Lyman,  Bullard  &  Lee,  the  Higginsons,  R.  B.  Storer,  W.  Windsor 
Fay,  E.  A.  Homer,  B.  Burgess,  JVIinot  &  Hooper,  Boardman  8c  Pope, 
all  well-known  merchants  of  their  day.  To  those  offices  the  rich  plant- 
ers came,  and  then  spent  their  money  at  Saratoga  Springs,  and  along 
the  wharves  could  be  seen  cargoes  from  all  parts  of  the  globe.  Here 
also  were  the  consulates  of  Sweden,  Norway,  Belgium,  and  Russia. 
"  Here,"  as  described  by  William  Howell  Reed,  who  wrote  the  life 
of  Mr.  Atkins,  "  were  the  quaint  old  offices  with  their  ancient  furni- 
ture, the  blazing  open  fires  in  winter,  the  pictured  walls  with  ships 
sailing  in  every  ocean,  the  models  of  favorite  vessels,  the  courth- 
manners  of  the  old  merchant  princes  of  that  day,  the  counting-house 
decorum,  the  quiet  respectability,  the  aroma  of  the  lofts  above  packed 
with  the  merchandise  of  the  East." 

R.  G.  Shaw  &  Co.  once  joined  Mr.  Atkins  in  making  up  a  cargo 
on  one  of  the  earlier  voyages,  while  Joshua  Sears,  one  of  the  large 
retail  purchasers  of  sugar  in  Boston,  assisted  occasionally  in  times  of 
tight  money.  The  first  shipment  to  Cienfuegos  was  in  1843,  at  which 
port  Columbus  landed  on  his  first  voyage.  There  was  little  going  on 
here  at  this  time,  Trinidad  being  the  centre  of  business  and  society; 
but  gradually  this  port  grew,  owing  to  the  large  amount  of  business 
transacted  there  by  Mr.  Atkins  and  Mr.  Benjamin  Burgess.  In 
these  early  days  the  mills  were  run  by  oxen  and  were  called  ''  Bull 
Mills."  Mr.  Atkins's  letters  home  give  a  good  idea  of  the  life  on  the 
plantations.  One  letter  describes  a  night  spent  on  top  of  some  sugar- 
boxes  on  board  a  very  small  vessel,  while  another  one  mentions  his 
disgust  on  seeing  for  the  first  time  a  very  pretty  Cuban  girl  light  a 
large  cigar. 

In  1849  Mr.  Atkins  again  conducted  business  alone,  Mr.  Freeman 
retiring.  The  business,  however,  continued  to  prosper,  and  his  vessels 
visited  not  only  Cuba,  but  the  Windward  Islands,  St.  Thomas,  Ja- 
maica, Guatemala,  and  occasionally  Rio  Janeiro.  Boston  now  became 
a  great  sugar  market.  John  S.  Emery,  ship  owner  and  broker, 
chartered  over  four  hundred  vessels  to  Mr.  Atkins.  It  was  at  this 
period  (1866)  that  Mr.  Cummings  was  admitted  to  partnership. 

Some  of  the  vessels  owned  were  the  well-known  "Adelaide,"  "  Chat- 
ham," "  Marine,"  "  Tom  Corwin,"  "  W.  B.  Stetson,"  "Jacinta,"  "Clo- 
tilda," and  "  Neptune,"  the  latter  being  the  favorite  ship.  A  few  of  the 
shipmasters  in  whom  Mr.  Atkins  took  a  great  interest  were  Captains 
Burt,  Bassford,  Harding,  and  Beal. 

Mr.  Edwin  F.  Atkins,  the  son  of  the  founder  of  the  business,  was 
admitted  to  partnership  in   1874,  and  is  now  the  head  of  this  well- 

43 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

known  house,  conducting  the  business  with  his  son,  Robert  W.  Atkins, 
who  was  taken  into  the  firm  in  1915,  being  the  third  generation  in  a 
business  of  over  eighty  years'  standing,  as  commission  merchants, 
planters,  manufacturers,  and  refiners. 

The  Bay  State  Sugar  Refinery  of  Boston,  owned  and  operated  by 
E.  Atkins  &  Co.  for  many  years,  entered  the  consolidation  which  com- 
prised man\'  of  the  sugar  refineries  of  the  United  States,  then  known 
as  The  Sugar  Refineries  Company,  just  before  the  death  of  Elisha 
Atkins  in  1888;  and  Edwin  F.  Atkins  later  became  prominent  in  the 
management  of  its  successor,  the  American  Sugar  Refining  Company. 

Elisha  Atkins  was  considered  one  of  the  most  capable  merchants 
of  his  day.  He  was  one  of  the  builders  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad 
and  active  in  its  management  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  also 
connected  with  many  enterprises,  both  in  New  England  and  through- 
out the  West. 


ENOCH  TRAIN 

Enoch  Train  was  so  popular  with  his  employees  that  when  he 
failed  during  one  of  the  panics  prior  to  the  Civil  War,  one  of  his 
Portuguese  stevedores,  taking  his  own  bank  book,  placed  it  on  his 
employer's  desk,  saying,  "Take  it;  I  have  made  the  money  out  of 
your  ships."  This  anecdote  well  illustrates  the  fine  relations  that 
existed  between  himself  and  his  employees,  to  whom  he  was  always 
kind  and  considerate.  He  was  likewise  the  soul  of  honor  and  integrity, 
and  was  generous  and  public-spirited  in  every  worthy  cause.  Aaron 
Sargent  in  his  "  Recollections  of  Boston  Merchants  "  best  describes  his 
popularity:  "To  receive  a  bow  or  a  'Good-morning'  salute  from 
Enoch  Train,  as,  tall  and  erect  and  with  manly  step,  he  walked  down 
State  Street  and  along  Commercial  Street  to  his  counting-room,  was 
something  not  to  be  despised  by  any  one,  whether  a  merchant  or  one 
holding  some  other  position  in  commercial  Boston."  He  was  also 
foremost  among  the  merchant  ship-owners  of  his  day,  and  at  one 
time  owned  the  largest  number  of  ships  of  any  firm  in  Boston, 
thirty  or  more  of  his  vessels  plying  between  this  port  and  Liverpool. 
Having  been  brought  up  in  the  hide  and  leather  store  of  his  uncle, 
Samuel  Train,  his  earliest  ventures  after  he  went  into  shipping  on 
his  own  account  were  in  the  Russian  and  South  American  trades, 
importing  principally  hides.  A  few  years  later,  in  1844,  he  estab- 
lished the  well-known  Train  line  of  packets  to  Liverpool,  the  first 
ship  built  being  the  "  Joshua  Bates,"  named  after  the  American  part- 
ner of  Baring  Brothers  at  that  time.  This  vessel  was  built  for  him 
at  Newburyport  by  the  celebrated  ship-builder,  Donald  McKay.  Mr. 
Train  was  so  much  pleased  with  this  first  vessel  and  with  the  skill 
of  the  builder  that  on  the  day  she  was  launched  he  said  to  McKay, 
"You  must  come  to  Boston;  we  need  you,  and  if  you  want  any 
financial  assistance  in  establishing  a  shipyard  let  me  know  the  amount 
and  you  shall  have  it."     The  rest  is  too  well  known  to  repeat.     In 

44 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

rapid  succession  were  launched  the  "Anglo  Saxon,"  "Anglo  Ameri- 
can," "  Washington  Irving,"  "'  Ocean  Monarch,"  "  Parliament,"  "  Star 
of  the  Empire,"  "Chariot  of  Fame,"  "  Staffordshire,"  "  Cathedral," 
and  "  John  Eliot  Thayer."  The  "  Staffordshire  "  was  lost  at  sea  not  far 
from  this  coast  and  many  passengers  were  lost.  It  is  stated  that  there 
were  so  few  boats  and  panic-stricken  people  slung  so  desperately  to 
the  gunwales  of  the  rowboats  that  one  of  the  officers  was  obliged  to 
chop  off  their  fingers  with  a  hatchet  in  order  to  save  even  a  few  of 
the  passengers.  Another  ship,  the  "  Ocean  Monarch,"  was  burned 
at  sea  with  a  loss  of  four  hundred  lives,  and  George  Francis  Train, 
a  representative  of  the  firm,  in  an  account  of  his  life,  describes  the 
pathetic  scene  he  witnessed  when  the  news  was  first  announced  in 
Boston.  It  was  customary  for  the  captain  of  each  inward-bound 
\-essel  as  she  approached  her  dock  to  shout  from  the  rail  the  latest 
news.  On  this  occasion  the  "  Persia  "  under  Captain  Judkins  was 
about  to  dock,  and  hundreds  of  people  were  waiting  to  hear  tidings 
of  some  friend  or  vessel.  The  captain  shouted  the  sad  fate  of  the 
"  Ocean  Monarch "  and  within  a  few  minutes  the  announcement 
was  made  in  the  Merchants  Exchange.  The  Train  firm  on  another 
occasion  believed  the  "  Gov.  Davis,"  which  ran  on  their  Boston. 
New  Orleans,  Liverpool  triangular  route,  had  also  been  burned  at 
sea,  as  word  was  received  that  "  The  '  Gov.  Davis  '  is  burned  up." 
While  those  in  the  counting-house  were  grieving  over  their  losses  of 
friends  and  cargo,  another  message  was  handed  to  them,  changing 
the  message  to  "  The  '  Gov.  Davis  '  is  bound  up."  The  vessel  was  safe 
in  Boston  Harbour  and  there  was  great  rejoicing  in  the  Train  office. 
Another  ship  belonging  to  the  firm,  called  "  Break  of  Day,"  came  into 
Boston  Harbour  on  a  winter's  day  without  a  spar  standing.  "  The 
Chariot  of  Fame "  was  Train's  favorite  vessel,  her  master  being 
Captain  Knowles.  She  had  a  reading-room  on  her  quarter-deck  for 
cabin  passengers,  a  great  luxury  in  those  days. 

Donald  McKay  also  built  for  Mr.  Train  the  "  Flying  Cloud," 
"  Empress  of  the  Seas,"  "  Plymouth  Rock,"  which  was  half-owned 
by  George  B.  Upton,  and  the  "  Lightning."  Some  of  Train's  captains 
were  Caldwell,  Thayer,  Murdock,  Brown,  Richardson,  Howard,  and 
Knowles. 

In  1855  the  Boston  &  European  Steamship  Company  was  incor- 
porated, with  Enoch  Train,  George  B.  Upton,  Donald  McKay,  An- 
drew T.  Hall,  and  James  M.  Beebe  as  sponsors,  "  for  the  purpose  of 
navigating  the  ocean  by  steam."  The  plan  was  to  build  a  splendid 
line  of  steamers,  rivalling  in  every  respect  the  well-known  Collins 
line  of  New  York,  the  English  port  to  be  Milford  Haven  in  Wales. 
The  remarks  made  by  Enoch  Train  at  that  time  are  especially  inter- 
esting to  look  back  upon,  as  they  show  his  ideas  in  regard  to  the 
steamship  which  was  then  just  beginning  to  replace  the  sailing-ship. 
It  had  been  expected  that  Train  would  oppose  the  suggested  company, 
as  being  antagonistic  to  his  own,  but  instead  he  was  so  broad-minded 
that  he  lent  it  the  strength  of  his   right  arm,   as   he  expressed   it. 

45 


ustn  AID  inuriioi  piciets. 

Snilinjr  from  Boston  SomiBInnthly,  and  from  Liverpool  every  W.wk 


i  ...liograpl:  from  an  nrigimil 


Kindness  of  Stephen  G.  Train 


TRAIN   &  CO.'S   POSTER 

Showing  the  "StafTordsliirc"  belonging  to  this  line,  also  the  flap  of  the  firm,  list  of  ships  owned    and 
map  showing  distances  from  Boston.     This  poster  is  rare. 


.\'0   Dh-UNKAJID    HIT  ALL    EXTFJi    77/ A'  KINGDOM   OF  GOD 


m 


L  THE  usDEKiiGNED,  am  pledged,  and  Jiuve  covenanted  with  my  Shipmates 
iiud  other  seaineii,  wmprising  tlie 

jailors'  Jomc  Cempcraiicc  ^oticti), 

To  abiindon,  and    pei'siiade    others  to  abandon    tlie    use    of  Ardent    Sfjkits. 

May  God  give  me  strengtii  to  keep  thiis  pledge  inviolate, 
l^eceived  of  tlie  Rev.  Eli.iau  Kelluog.  Chaplain  Sailor.-;'  Home,  Boirton. 


\m^^^  '^fk^g^'^  '^-i^^Mk 

Kindness  oj  J .  Chany 

PLEDGE  OF  THE  SAILORS'   HOME  TEMPERANCE  SOCIETY 

Showing  the  Sailors'  Home,  and  men  on  the  wharf  destroying  barrels  of  rum.     The  remark,  "You've 
given  me  many  a  broken  head,  and  now  I'll  give  you  one,"  is  amusing. 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  oj  OLD  BOSTON 

"  There  is  a  vast  difference,"  he  said,  "  between  steam  and  sailing 
vessels."  and  steam  would  not  interfere  with  his  regular  business,  the 
transportation  of  coarse  and  weighty  commodities,  and  passengers 
who  could  not  afford  the  luxury  of  steam  passage.  A  large  committee 
was  appointed,  but  the  panic  of  1857  put  a  stop  to  all  plans. 

Frederic  \V.  Thayer,  a  partner  at  one  time  of  Mr.  Train,  estab- 
lished an  office  in  Liverpool.  Later  he  and  Mr.  George  Warren 
formed  a  partnership  under  the  name  of  Thayer  &  Warren,  succeed- 
ing to  the  business  of  Enoch  Train  &  Co.  At  a  still  later  date  the 
name  was  changed  again  to  the  well-known  firm  of  Warren  &  Co. 
This  latter  firm  still  flies  the  Train  private  signal,  a  red  ground  with 
a  white  diamond,  and  was  one  of  the  first  houses  to  appreciate  the 
commercial  importance  of  iron  screw  steamers. 

Enoch  Train  at  first  had  his  counting-house  at  37  Lewis  Wharf, 
and  later,  about  1852,  he  bought  Constitution  Wharf  for  the  use  of 
his  ships,  moving  his  private  office  to  State  Street. 

The  two  cuts  as  the  frontispiece  of  this  pamphlet  show  in  the 
first  picture  an  Irishman  in  straitened  circumstances  carefulU'  ex- 
amining one  of  Enoch  Train  &  Co.'s  shipping  announcements  of  a 
sailing  to  Boston;  the  second  one  depicts  the  same  individual  about 
to  return  from  Boston  on  the  same  line  to  the  "  Old  Country," 
having  become  prosperous  in  the  Ignited  States. 


1 


Frnm  a  painting  in  the  Nantucket  Library 

THE  "SAMUEL  RUSSELL" 

Named  after  the  founder  of  the  house  of  Russell  &  Co.,  the  largest  of  the  American  firms 
in  China.  The  "Samuel  Russell"  was  built  in  1846  for  .'\.  A.  Low  &  Co.,  was  commanded  for 
many  years  by  Captain  N.  B.  Palmer,  and  was  lost  off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  She  was  one 
of  the  fastest  clippers  of  her  day. 

48 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 


ONE   OF    THE   BEST    KNOWN   SHIPS  OF   BENJAMIN    C.   CLARK   i   CO. 


CAPTAIN  ARTHUR  H.  CLARK 

Captain  Arthur  H.  Clark  quotes  Thomas  Appleton  as  saying  that  no 
Boston  family  was  quite  complete  that  could  not  claim  at  least  one 
retired  sea-captain!  and  if  one  examines  the  names  of  Boston  cap- 
tains, one  finds  that  this  statement  has  much  truth  in  it.  Captain 
Clark  had  many  friends  in  the  same  trade,  and  a  list  made  by  him 
furnishes  further  proof  that  Appleton  was  right  in  his  assertion. 
Robert  Adams,  of  the  "  Rocket  "  and  "  Golden  Fleece,"  was  a  son 
of  the  Rev.  Nehemiah  Adams;  John  Boote  succeeded  Captain 
William  C.  Rogers  in  the  "  Witchcraft  ";  Robert  Almy  was  captain  of 
the  "  Nor'  Wester  ";  Henry  Sargent,  of  the  ''  Rockland,"  "  Phantom," 
and  "  Emily  C.  Starr,"  was  an  elder  brother  of  Daniel  and  Frank 
Sargent  and  Mrs.  Goodwin  Whitney  and  Airs.  William  Appleton  of 
New  York;  Captain  Gannett,  of  the  ship  "Benares,"  was  a  younger 
brother  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gannett;  Frank  Haskell,  who  commanded  the 
"  Norseman,"  was  an  elder  brother  of  Thomas  and  Frederick  Haskell; 
Captain  Frank  Dale,  who  sailed  the  "  Fleetwood,"  was  a  brother  of 
Dr.  Dale,  and  uncle  of  Eben  Dale  and  Mary  Dale,  who  married 
Colonel  Charles  TurnbuU;  Putnam  Upton,  of  the  "Dragoon,"  was  a 
son  of  George  B.  Upton,  the  well-known  ship-merchant;  James  Dwight, 
of  the  "  Cutwater  "  and  "  James  Freeman  Clarke,"  was  a  cousin  of 
Howard  and  Wilder  Dwight;  and  Montgomery  Parker,  captain  of  the 
ships  "  Judge  Shaw  "  and  "  Lord  Lyndhurst,"  was  a  son  of  Richard  G. 
Parker.  All  of  these  names  and  many  more  were,  according  to  Cap- 
tain Clark,  the  pride  of  Boston,  and  will  go  down  on  the  records  of 
the  maritime  history  of  the  city. 

49 


From  a  photograph  Courtesy  of  Captain   Arthur  H.   Clark 

CAPTAIN  ARTHUR  H.  CLARK 

A  splendid  seaman,  good  business  man  and  excellent 
writer  of  maritime  history.  He  is  one  of  the  last  of 
the  captains  of  the  old  school.  His  residence  is  in 
Brooklyn,  N.Y.,  and  he  is  the  New  York  representa- 
tive of  Lloyd's. 


SOME  MERCHANTS  a7id  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

Captain  Clark,  who  is  now  Lloyd's  representative  in  New  York, 
has  an  extraordinary  record  as  a  Boston  shipmaster.  His  first  sailing 
experience  was  with  small  model  yachts  on  the  Frog  Pond,  which  was 
opposite  his  father's  house.  No.  36  Beacon  Street,  and  later  he 
learned  to  navigate  his  father's  yacht  off  Nahant.  After  leaving  the 
Latin  School  he  determined  to  adopt  the  sea  as  his  calling,  and 
shipped  before  the  mast  on  the  clipper  "  Black  Prince  "  around  the 
Horn  to  San  Francisco,  Manila,  Foochow,  and  other  distant  ports. 
When  this  ship  returned,  two  and  one-half  years  later,  he  had  been 
advanced  to  the  position  of  third  mate.  He  then  became  second 
officer  of  the  famous  "Northern  Light,"  returning  to  the  "Black 
Prince  "  as  chief  mate.  In  a  short  time  he  rose  to  be  chief  mate  of  the 
ship  "J.  C.  Humphreys,"  then  master  of  the  "Agnes,"  and  the 
"  Verena,"  in  the  China  trade.  His  next  adventure  was  to  command 
the  yacht  "Alice,"  only  forty-eight  feet  long,  on  a  voyage  from  Boston 
to  England,  one  of  his  companions  being  Mr.  Charles  Longfellow, 
son  of  the  poet.  Up  to  this  time  this  was  the  smallest  yacht  to  cross 
the  Atlantic  and  the  first  American  yacht  to  sail  from  America  direct 
to  England.  Upon  his  return  to  Boston,  Captain  Clark  was  appointed 
by  J.  M.  Forbes  &  Co.  to  take  the  steamship  "A.  J.  Ingersoll  "  to 
China.  He  subsequently  commanded  the  "  Manchu,"  "  Suwo  Nada," 
and  "  Venus  "  in  the  China  Seas,  and  received  a  service  of  silver  from 
American  and  British  underwriters  for  his  wonderful  feat  in  bringing 
the  "  Suwo  Nada,"  owned  by  Augustine  Heard  &  Co.,  into  Hong  Kong 
in  such  a  sinking  condition  that  she  sank  in  the  graving  dock 
before  the  gates  could  be  closed,  having  struck  an  uncharted  rock 
on  the  Chinese  coast.  Captain  Clark  subsequently  commanded  the 
American  Mail  S.S.  "  Indiana,"  between  Philadelphia  and  Liverpool, 
and  retired  from  the  sea  in  1877,  but  made  one  more  ocean  voyage  in 
1894-1895  when  he  brought  the  steam  yacht  "  Sylvia,"  owned  by  Com- 
modore Edward  M.  Brown  of  the  New  York  Yacht  Club,  from  Queens- 
town  to  New  York  during  the  months  of  December  and  January. 
This  yacht  was  138  tons  gross.  The  "Alice"  and  "Sylvia"  are  the 
two  smallest  sailing  and  steam  yachts  respectively  that  have  crossed 
the  Atlantic  under  the  burgee  of  the  New  York  Yacht  Club.  Both 
made  the  passage  in  nineteen  days. 

Captain  Clark  is  a  very  familiar  figure  of  the  down-town  shipping 
community  of  New  York,  and  is  one  of  the  last  of  that  fine  type  of 
gentleman  sea-captains  of  the  old  school.  He  is  not  only  a  splendid 
seaman,  but  also  a  business  man  of  sound  judgment,  and  a  writer  of 
maritime  history  of  first  importance.  He  is  the  son  of  Hon.  B.  C. 
Clark,  who  was  the  founder  of  the  firm  of  Benjamin  C.  Clark  &  Co. 
of  Boston.  This  well-known  house  from  1830  to  1848  owned  a  number 
of  clipper  brigs  and  topsail  schooners  which  were  engaged  in  the  West 
India  coffee  trade  and  the  Mediterranean  fruit  and  wine  trade, 
some  of  these  vessels  being  the  "  Sea  Eagle,"  "  Water  Witch," 
"  Silenus,"  "  Red  Rover,"  and  "  Sea  Mew."  Benjamin  C.  Clark  built 
and  owned  the  schooner  yacht  "Mermaid,"  which  was  then — 1832 — 
the  first  decked  yacht  owned  in  Boston,  and  a   few  years  later  he 

52 


SOME  MERCHANTS  and  SEA  CAPTAINS  of  OLD  BOSTON 

built  the  "  Raven,"  which  won  the  cup  in  the  first  regatta  sailed  in 
Massachusetts  Bay,  at  Nahant,  on  July  19,  1845. 


Oh,  again  to  hear  the  Lascars'  rousing  "chanty"  in  the  morn, 
When  we  broke  away  the  anchor  to  sail  home  around  the  Horn! 
Oh,  to  see  the  white  sails  pulling,  feel  the  lift  beneath  the  keel, 
With  the  trade-wind's  push  behind  her  and  the  roll  that  made  her  reel! 

The  old  Clipper  days  are  over,  and  the  white-winged  fleets  no  more, 
With  their  snowy  sails  unfolded,  fly  along  the  ocean  floor; 
Where  their  house-flags  used  to  flutter  in  the  ocean  winds  unfurled, 
Now  the  kettle-bellied  cargo  tubs  go  reeling  around  the  world. 

But  'twas  jolly  while  it  lasted,  and  the  sailor  was  a  man; 
And  it's  good-by  to  the  Lascar  and  the  tar  with  face  of  tan; 
And  it's  good-by  mother,  once  for  all,  and  good-by  girls  on  shore; 
And  it's  good-by  brave  old  Clipper-ship  that  sails  the  seas  no  more! 

{From  Boston  Transcript.) 


53 


IF' 


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